T-Bird One

“T-Bird One” was the 165th iteration of the license-built Lockheed T-33 for the Canadian Air Force. The Canadair factory completed 165’s construction in 1953 just as Lockheed was on the way to building close to 5691 of them. Canadair built about 656. Kawasaki built another 210 for a total of 6557 produced. The airplane started off as a single seat fighter, the P-80 in 1944. After numerous accidents with pilots getting used to jets instead of piston engines, the Air Force decided that a two-seat trainer was needed. In 1948, the Lockheed Skunk Works and Kelly Johnson stretched the F-80 by thirty-six inches to add another seat for an instructor. Canadair took this development a bit further by installing a higher thrust Rolls Royce Nene 10 engine instead of the J-33 used by Lockheed. This raised the max takeoff weight to 16,800 pounds and the top speed was .8 Mach. So, the CT-133 Silver Star as it was called, served in the RCAF until 2005 in one fashion or another. In the 1990’s a small number of Silver Stars were upgraded with new avionics and wiring, complete airframe inspections and repairs and had the AUP designation. About sixteen were eventually sold on the open market in 2005. T-Bird One was one of these.

Dennie Darnell started the process of acquiring 165 from the RCAF. He envisioned putting it in the colors and marking of his old unit at Carswell AFB in the 1960’s. They operated the Convair B-58 Hustler, a supersonic nuclear capable bomber, but had T-33’s for pilot proficiency and chase plane duties. Indeed, the SAC emblem and the 43rd Bomb Wing emblems adorn the fuselage for this reason. Also, the 43rd BW and Carswell AFB, TX are each wing tip tank. Sadly, Dennie passed away from cancer just as the airplane was completed. He got one ride in it to the Alliance Airshow in Oct 2015 before going West.

165 then became a cause to continue what Dennie had started. With Crew Chief Bill Gorin and his sone Brian supporting the aircraft, it was purchased in 2016 and the tradition has continued under the PGM Aviation nonprofit organization. It displays this aircraft in the Vintage Flying Museum at Meacham Airport in Fort Worth, TX and at various airshows around the DFW area. The US Air Force’s first jet fighter and jet trainer deserves to be remembered proudly.