Vultee BT-13 Valiant

The Vultee BT-13 Valiant is an American World War II-era basic (a category between primary and advanced) 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.

Design and development

thumb|Vultee BC-3 prototype in flight

According to Jonathan Thompson, "The three trainer designs that shared their basic engineering with the Vanguard fighter were all promoted under the same name, Valiant. The prototypes had consecutive serial numbers 139, 140 and 141 and made their first flights in the Spring and Summer of 1939. While similar in appearance, they were distinct in purpose and performance, and only one of them succeeded in winning a production contract. This turned out to be six AC contracts with three supplements, eventually amounting to 11,526 aircraft, plus twelve ordered by Peru, for a total of 11,538."

On 24 March, the Vultee BC-51 advanced trainer first flew, but lost out in competition to the North American AT-6. The Air Corps did accept the Vultee BC-51 though, designating it as the BC-3 after some upgrades in the Spring of 1940. On 9 June, Vultee model 54 advanced trainer first flew. Its original 450-hp Wright Whirlwind was eventually replaced with a R-1340. On 28 July, the Vultee model 54A first flew. According to Thompson, "A Basic Trainer, similar to the model 54 except for its fixed landing gear and P&W R-985 engine, it struck pay dirt. In August the USAAC selected it for volume production as the BT-13. which became the standard type for the category throughout World War II."

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 (or, more commonly, a constant-speed propeller

thumb|Vultee BT-13 on runway at [[Shafter Airport|Minter Field, California, 1 March 1943]]

According to Thompson, "Because of Vultee's outstanding production achievement, as well as the service's accelerated training programs, the huge pilot requirements were met by mid-1943 and the last Valiants were built in mid-1944. Except for resonances in various flight modes that earned it the nickname 'Vibrator,' the Valiant's simplicity and effectiveness caused it to be taken for granted, and practically forgotten after all of them were sold at war's end."

Argentine Navy

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Cuban Air Force

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Dominican Air Force

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Guatemalan Air Force

;Brazil

1072 – BT-15 on static display at the Museu Aeroespacial in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro.
42-1216 – BT-13A in storage at Museu TAM in São Carlos, São Paulo.

;Canada

42-89379 – BT-13A airworthy in Edenvale, Ontario.

;Indonesia

thumb|Indonesian Air Force BT-13A Valiant at the Dirgantara Mandala Museum

B-427 – BT-13A on display at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali.
B-604 – BT-13A on display at Suryadarma Air Force Base in Kalijati, Subang Regency, West Java.
B-605 – BT-13A on display at Gembira Loka Zoo in Yogyakarta.
B-608 – BT-13A on display at Jurug Solo Zoo in Surakarta, Central Java.
B-610 – BT-13A on display at Gedung Juang 45 Subang in Subang Regency, West Java.
B-616 – BT-13A on display at Indonesian Air Force Academy in Yogyakarta.
B-620 – BT-13A on display at Sempor Dam in Kebumen Regency, Cemtral Java.
B-622 – BT-13A on display at Mangkang Zoo in Semarang, Central Java. It was stripped of all markings and painted blue.
B-633 – BT-13A on display at Dirgantara Mandala Museum in Yogyakarta.

;Netherlands

thumb|42-43210 (N313BT) at [[Duxford Aerodrome in England]]

42-43210 – BT-13A airworthy at the Early Birds Museum on Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands.

;United States

thumb|Vultee BT-13A/SNV-1 Valiant at the [[Air Zoo]]

thumb|Vultee SNV-2 Valiant at the [[Cavanaugh Flight Museum]]

3022 – SNV-1 on static display at Main Campus of the Kalamazoo Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
156739 – SNV-1 airworthy at the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles, California.
41-10418 – BT-13A on static display at the Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas.
41-10571 – BT-13A on static display at the Quik Stop Mini-Mart in Caruthers, California. It is mounted nose-first on top of a gas station island awning.
41-10814 – BT-13A airworthy with Vultee Resource & Management in Yukon, Oklahoma.
41-11355 – BT-13A on static display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. It is painted as an SNV-1.
41-11538 – BT-13A airworthy with the Commemorative Air Force Minnesota Wing in South St. Paul, Minnesota.
41-11584 – BT-13A on static display at the Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas.
41-21178 - BT-13A airworthy with the Commemorative Air Force in Houston, Texas.
41-21218 – BT-13A airworthy with Valiant Effort Foundation in Livermore, California.
41-21487 – BT-13A on static display at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California. It is painted as 41–22365.
41-21826 - BT-13A airworthy with the Commemorative Air Force in Dallas, Texas.
41-21933 – BT-13A on static display at the Travis Air Force Base Heritage Center at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California.
41-22124 – BT-13A in storage at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility of the National Air and Space Museum in Suitland, Maryland.
41-22204 – BT-13A on static display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum in Box Elder, South Dakota.
41-22386 – BT-13A on static display at the Moffett Field Historical Society Museum in Mountain View, California.
41-22441 – BT-13A airworthy at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania.
41-23075 – BT-13A airworthy on loan from Rene J. Vercruyssen to the Chico Air Museum in Chico, California.
42-04130 – BT-13A on static display at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas.
42-41303 – BT-15 on static display at the Gunter Annex of Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.
42-42353 – BT-13A on static display at the Pima Air Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
42-88675 – BT-13A airworthy at the National WASP WWII Museum in Sweetwater, Texas.
42-88708 – BT-13 on display at the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum in Rio Grande, New Jersey.
42-88855 – BT-13A airworthy with Barry D. Burns in Hubbard, Oregon.
42-89607 – BT-13B airworthy at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.
42-89678 – BT-13A on static display at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California.
42-90018 – BT-13B on static display at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia.
42-90026 – BT-13B airworthy with the Alaska Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in Anchorage, Alaska.
42-90296 – BT-13B airworthy at the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
42-90590 – BT-13B airworthy with Ryan Shively of Richland, Washington. It was delivered to the USAAF in May 1944 and served with the 54th Fighter Squadron, 2nd Air Commando Group, 4501st Base Unit, and 338th Base Unit.
42-90629 – BT-13B on static display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
42-90054 – BT-13B airworthy with the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California.
c/n 7832 – BT-13A on static display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
c/n 8408 – BT-13 on static display at the Fort Worth Aviation Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.
Unknown ID – Unknown variant in storage in unrestored condition at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California.
Unknown ID – BT-13 under restoration at the Fargo Air Museum in Fargo, North Dakota.
Unknown ID – BT-13A on static display at the Florida Keys Marathon International Airport in Marathon, Florida. [source: FAA registry search]
79-1366 – BT-13 airworthy on display at the Wings of Honor Museum in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. [source: FAA registry search]

Popular culture

thumb|[[Aichi D3A replica at the Geneseo Airshow. In 1968 a Vultee BT-13 Valiant (N56867) was converted to a Val replica for use in the filming of the movie "Tora! Tora! Tora!", flown as Val "AI-244" (Carrier Akagi). The BT-13 has been maintained in that configuration ever since, and is now flown at airshows as "BI-211" with markings of Carrier Sōryū.]]

BTs were used by Twentieth Century Fox in the 1970 motion picture "Tora! Tora! Tora!", converted to look like Aichi D3A Vals.

After filming, the studio sold or donated the altered aircraft.

Specifications (BT-13A)

frameless|right|3-view line drawing of the Vultee Valiant

References

Bibliography

External links

BT-13.com Vultee History Site