Vultee BT-13 Valiant

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vultee_BT-13_Valiant

The Vultee BT-13 Valiant was an American World War II-era advanced (although
called basic) trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States
Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces. A subsequent variant of the BT-13
in USAAC/USAAF service was known as the BT-15 Valiant, while an identical
version for the US Navy was known as the SNV and was used to train naval
aviators for the US Navy and its sister services, the US Marine Corps and US
Coast Guard.

The Vultee BT-13 was the basic trainer flown by most American pilots during
World War II. It was the second phase of the three phase training program for
pilots. After primary training in PT-13, PT-17, or PT-19 trainers, the student
pilot moved to the more complex Vultee for continued flight training. The BT-13
had a more powerful engine and was faster and heavier than the primary trainer.
It required the student pilot to use two way radio communications with the
ground and to operate landing flaps and a two-position Hamilton Standard
controllable-pitch propeller. It did not, however, have retractable landing gear
nor a hydraulic system. The flaps were operated by a crank-and-cable system. Its
pilots nicknamed it the "Vultee Vibrator."

Due to the demand for this aircraft, and others which used the same Pratt &
Whitney engine, some were equipped with Wright powerplants of similar size and
power built in 1941–42. The Wright-equipped aircraft were designated BT-15.

The Navy adopted the P&W powered aircraft as their main basic trainer,
designating it the SNV. The BT-13 production run outnumbered all other Basic
Trainer (BT) types produced.

In 1938, Vultee chief designer Richard Palmer began designing a single-engine
fighter aircraft. About that time, the Army Air Corps issued a solicitation for
an advanced trainer, with the promise of a substantial order if selected. Palmer
adapted his design concept from a fighter to an advanced trainer, resulting in
the V-51 prototype.


Role
Trainer

Manufacturer
Vultee Aircraft

First flight
March 1939

Introduction
June 1940

Primary users
United States Army Air Forces
United States Navy

Number built
9,525

Once in service, the aircraft quickly got its nickname of "Vibrator." There are
several explanations given for this nickname. 1: Because it had a tendency to
shake quite violently as it approached its stall speed. 2. During more
adventurous maneuvers the canopy vibrated. 3. On takeoff, the aircraft caused
windows on the ground to vibrate. 4. The two-position propeller had an
irritating vibration in high pitch. The BT-13 served its intended purpose well.
It and its successors were unforgiving aircraft to fly, but were also extremely
agile. Thus the BT-13 made a good aircraft to help transition many hundreds of
pilots toward their advanced trainers and fighters yet to be mastered. The BT-13
was not without its faults. The tail was held on with only three bolts and after
several in-flight failures, the Navy restricted the aircraft from aerobatic and
violent maneuvers. The Navy declared the SNV obsolete in May 1945 and replaced
it in the basic training role with the SNJ (T-6). The Army also replaced the
BT-13 with the AT-6 before the end of the war.

After World War II, virtually all were sold as surplus for a few hundred dollars
each. Many were purchased just to obtain their engines, which were mounted on
surplus biplanes (such as Stearmans) to replace their less powerful engines for
use as cropdusters. The BT airframes were then scrapped. Several others were
modified as multi-passenger civilian aircraft; one as the "Viceroy" and at least
two others by a different firm. Today, some "BT's" (collectively, BT-13s, BT-15s
and SNVs) are still flying, though in very limited numbers (and none in military
or government service).

BT-13s were used by Twentieth Century Fox in the 1970 motion picture "Tora!
Tora! Tora!"; 9 units were purchased in 1968 and modified to resemble Japanese
"Val" dive bombers. The "Zero" fighters and "Kate" torpedo bombers in that movie
were modified Harvard IV's.

After filming, the studio sold the altered aircraft to private owners. Many are
still flying, several of them as part of the Commemorative Air Force's "Tora!
Tora! Tora!" squadron, which performs air battle reenactments at air shows.
Several "Tora" aircraft also appeared in the later "Pearl Harbor" film.

Specifications (BT-13A)

General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 28 ft 10 in (8.79 m)
Wingspan: 42 ft 0 in (12.80 m)
Height: 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m)
Wing area: 239 sq ft (22.2 m2)
Empty weight: 3,375 lb (1,531 kg)
Gross weight: 4,496 lb (2,039 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial
engine, 450 hp (340 kW)
Propellers: 2-bladed Hamilton-Standard 2-position

Performance
Maximum speed: 180 mph (290 km/h; 156 kn)
Range: 725 mi (630 nmi; 1,167 km)
Service ceiling: 21,650 ft (6,600 m)
Time to altitude: 9.2 minutes to 10,000 ft (3,000 m)



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