Canadair CL-94 'StarTrainer'
While preparing the Cartierville factory for licensed Lockheed CL-90 (CF-104) Starfighter production, Canadair's Advanced Projects Office proposed an advanced lead-in trainer. RCAF basic jet training was to be handled by Canadair's CL-41A Tutor. Operational training was covered by CF-104D two-seaters. But advanced lead-in training would continue to rely upon the CL-30 Silver Star, Canadair's license-built T-33 Shooting Star.
The CL-30 was a good aircraft but, to Canadair's APO staff, the Silver Star belonged to an earlier era. There was room, the design department believed, for fully modern advanced training aircraft to better match the highly demanding CF-104.
The general concept arrived at was a less demanding training employing as many CF-104 parts as was feasible. The result was the CL-94 which made use of CF-104 wings (albeit in a new, low-placed arrangement) and the cockpit section of the Starfighter in a largely unchanged nose. The latter was offered with single-seat or two-seat, dual-control cockpits.
The two-seater CL-94D (briefly known as 'StarTrainer') was put forward as a direct Silver Star replacement advanced trainer. The single-seat CL-94A was seen as what would today be referred to as a Lead-In Fighter Trainer. Both variants could be fitted with launch rails for GAR-8 Sidewinder IA missiles or wing tip fuel tanks. Both variants were to be powered by an afterburning version of the Orenda-built GE J85-CAN-40 turbojet. [1]
Unfortunately, the RCAF was not then interested in a Silver Star replacement. Brief discussions were had about adapting the CF-104 radar to the CL-30 but, in the end, this too was abandoned in favour of a similar scheme employing the CL-41R Tutor.
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[1] The J85-CAN-40 produced 2,650 lbf 'dry'. With afterburning, output was to be 4,050 lbf for each engine (or, combined, nearly double that of the CL-30's single Orenda-built Nene).
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