BT-13 Valiant
| Country | United States |
| Manufacturer | Vultee Aircraft Corporation |
| Primary Role | Other |
| Maiden Flight | 1 March 1939 |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseThe two-seat BT-13 Valiant trainer aircraft were used in the second phase of the three-phase training program for US Army pilots. The initial design featured retractable gears and a powerful 600hp engine, but because they were to be used only for training purposes, the US Army Air Corps requested that only fixed gears were necessary, and a smaller and cheaper engine should be used. The resulting design became one of the most famous trainer aircraft in the US during WW2. The first order was placed for 300 aircraft in Sep 1939. During the training process, BT-13 and BT-15 (which featured a Wright engine instead of a Pratt & Whitney engine) aircraft were used during the second of a three-phase program, giving the student pilots a sense of what a more powerful combat aircraft might feel like. The US Navy also used them for training; the aircraft used by the Navy were designated SNV-1 and SNV-2B depending on engine specification. When production ceased in 1944, 11,537 Valiant aircraft of all models were built.
ww2dbaseAfter the war, many BT-13 Valiant aircraft were sold as surplus at cheap prices. Many civilians bought them to salvage the engine for their cropdusters, while others bought them for recreation use. Some of the latter were modified in appearance to look like Japanese attack aircraft for film-making purposes; they could be seen in the 1970 film "Tora Tora Tora" and the 2001 film "Pearl Harbor".
ww2dbaseSources: Commemorative Air Force, Wikipedia.
Last Major Revision: Jun 2007
SPECIFICATIONS
BT-13 / SNV-1
| Machinery | One Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 Wasp Junior radial engine rated at 450hp |
| Crew | 2 |
| Span | 12.80 m |
| Length | 8.79 m |
| Height | 3.51 m |
| Wing Area | 22.00 m² |
| Weight, Empty | 1,531 kg |
| Weight, Maximum | 2,039 kg |
| Speed, Maximum | 290 km/h |
| Service Ceiling | 6,600 m |
| Range, Normal | 1,167 km |
BT-15 / SNV-2B
| Machinery | One Wright R-975-11 Whirlwind 9 radial engine rated at 450hp |
| Crew | 2 |
| Span | 12.80 m |
| Length | 8.79 m |
| Height | 3.51 m |
| Wing Area | 22.00 m² |
| Weight, Empty | 1,531 kg |
| Weight, Maximum | 2,027 kg |
| Speed, Maximum | 268 km/h |
| Service Ceiling | 6,600 m |
| Range, Normal | 1,167 km |
Photographs
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3 Dec 2010 02:53:58 PM
i trained in this airplane in 1943 and loved it.great flyimg machine.twas nicknamed the
"VIBRATOR"