Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Helps Bring the Red Knight Back to Life
Andover, Kan. – Just in time for Canada’s sesquicentennial, a cherished piece of Royal Canadian Air Force history will come roaring back to life when the Red Knight takes to the skies over London, Ontario once again.
Used extensively for training purposes through the 1950s and 1960s, nearly 700 Canadair CT-133 aircraft were built and flown for Canadian armed forces. Developed from the Lockheed P80 single-seat fighter and built under license in Montreal by Canadair, the CT-133 became the mainstay jet trainer for many years. Though the Canadair Tutor replaced the CT-133 as the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) primary jet trainer in the 1970s, a number of CT-133’s were kept in service for other purposes until 2005.
The CT-133 Silver Star represents a unique chapter in RCAF history. In 1958, a Silver Star flew as a solo aerobatic military display at the Canadian National Exposition in Toronto. The display was a hit with spectators. Having been painted with a bright red scheme for enhanced visibility, the nickname “Red Knight” helped the aircraft gain an unanticipated level of admiration.
Though the Silver Star was scheduled to be stripped and returned to regular service, the popularity of the demonstration convinced the RCAF to support the Red Knight program. The Silver Star, marked by its distinctive red paint scheme and a red knight’s helmet emblazoned on the nose, continued to grow in popularity as it performed, along with an alternate, at an increasing number of shows across North America. The program reached nearly 100 appearances in 1963 alone.
Ultimately, a Canadair Tutor served as the final Red Knight before the entire program was discontinued to make way for the Canadian Forces Snowbirds program; the iconic air demonstration squadron still flying today.
In 2007, a group of dedicated and passionate aviation enthusiasts established the Jet Aircraft Museum (JAM) upon acquiring six 1950s-era Silver Stars from the Canadian Government. The London, Ontario-based non-profit aims to preserve and honour Canada’s jet heritage through education and immersion.
For their latest project, JAM has transformed one of their CT-133’s into a replica of the famous Red Knight, colour scheme and all. Needless to say, returning a 64-year-old aircraft to the skies of London was no small undertaking.
“More than 1,200 hours of work have gone into reproducing the Red Knight in detail, primarily from volunteers and under the direction and supervision of our AME, Brian Rhodenizer,” said Simon Pont, Director of Events and Communications at JAM.
Pont says it is only through the dedication of enthusiastic volunteers that a project of this size can be accomplished within a reasonable time frame and – critically for a non-profit museum – without exorbitant cost.
While returning a 64-year-old aircraft to airworthy condition is challenging enough, certification-worthy restoration of a military aircraft in Canada requires even more regulatory considerations.
For the critical task of tackling the Red Knight’s paint scheme, JAM enlisted the help of a local custom paint shop, Rich Refinishing Auto Body. According to owner Richard Hilton, the opportunity to pitch in on a project celebrating Canadian heritage was a welcome challenge.
“This is the first aircraft we’ve ever painted,” said Hilton. “We do a lot of hot rods, motorcycles, and things like that. So when they approached us, we were a hundred percent on board.”
Pont says the project could not have been completed in a timely manner without the generosity of a number of organizations willing to step up and contribute to the preservation of history.
After numerous attempts to secure a donation of coatings came up short, JAM ultimately found the right partner in Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings, which donated the appropriate products to create and protect the dramatic Red Knight scheme. Products included Chrome Hazard Free Urethane Primer and Wash Primer.
“We are absolutely delighted that Sherwin Williams Aerospace Coatings was able to help us, said Pont. “They stepped up and blew us away.”
Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings also donated Acry Glo® Conventional in the Red Knight’s specific, signature shade of red.
“The paint colour and code was very specific and Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings was able to meet our requirements.”
The application of professionally made decals provided the finishing touch. Bill Burns of CanMilAir was able to produce accurate markings to complete the Red Knight.
Pont points to numerous other organizations that provided much needed support, including the Air Force heritage fund, London International Airport, Executive Aviation, North Wind Aviation, and California-based Concord Batteries, which made a significant contribution of two brand new batteries for the aircraft.
The incredible amount of effort that went into restoration was proudly on display during at the June 2017 unveiling ceremony. According to Pont, now that the painting and restoration is complete and the aircraft has been unveiled, it won’t be long before the Red Knight returns to the sky. With two successful engine runs already completed, the next step is for a high-speed run at London International Airport (Ontario) before what will be a triumphant return to flight – planned for late August.
As for what’s next, Pont says JAM is planning to restore another of its CT-133’s in the iconic gold, red and white scheme of the RCAF Golden Hawks display team. JAM’s CT-133, serial number 133500 flew as a support aircraft to the Golden Hawks team and it has long been felt that, if possible, the aircraft should be restored to its former glory.
About Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings
The Sherwin-Williams Company, founded in 1866, is one of the world's leading companies in the manufacture, distribution and sale of coatings and related products to professional, industrial, commercial and retail customers. Aerospace Coatings is a business unit of The Sherwin-Williams Company, which manufactures and distributes a complete line of advanced technology paint and coating systems for a variety of commercial, general and military aircraft.
