Vultee BT-13 Valiant

Basic Trainer Aircraft

United States | 1939

"The Vultee BT-13 Valiant was one of the more outstanding trainer aircraft of World War 2."

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Vultee BT-13A Valiant Basic Trainer Aircraft.

1 x Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 Wasp Jr 9-cylinder radial engine developing 450 horsepower.
Propulsion

183 mph
295 kph | 159 kts
Max Speed

16,503 ft
5,030 m | 3 miles
Service Ceiling

513 miles
826 km | 446 nm
Operational Range

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Vultee BT-13A Valiant Basic Trainer Aircraft.

2
(MANNED)
Crew

28.7 ft
8.76 m
O/A Length

42.2 ft
(12.86 m)
O/A Width

12.3 ft
(3.75 m)
O/A Height

4,365 lb
(1,980 kg)
MTOW

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Vultee BT-13 Valiant family line.

V-51 - Prototype

BC-51 - Prototype Designation for USAAC contract competition.

VF-51 - Based on the BC-51 prototype

VF-54 - Refined VF-51 design

VF-54A - Revised VF-54 model

BT-13 USAAC Base Production Model Designation; 300 initially ordered.

BT-13A - Fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines.

BT-13B - Fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines.

SNV-1 - US Navy designation for the BT-13A series.

SNV-2 - US Navy designation for the BT-13B series.

BT-15 - Fitted with Wright-series R-975 radial engine.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/26/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The BT-13 Valiant was a stellar trainer aircraft used for basic flight training and for blind instrument training throughout World War 2. The rear cockpit was equipped with a curtain that could be moved forward to cover the student pilot's vision, forcing him to fly by the aircraft by the five basic instruments: altimeter, air-speed indicator, compass, bank and turn indicators, and an optional tachometer. The BT-13 series differed slightly from the training offered with the AT-6 Texan in that it did not have retractable landing gear. The first delivery to the military was in 1942.

The BT-13 series spawned a few variants including a "A" and a "B" model, both fitted with Pratt & Whitney brand engines. The BT-15 appeared along with the introduction of Wright radial engines to help handle rising production needs. The United States Navy operated the BT-13A and BT-13B as the SNV-1 and SNV-2 respectively. Total production of the BT Valiant series as a whole amounted to over 11,500 examples, some which still fly in the hands of private collectors today.

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Vultee BT-13 Valiant. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 11,537 Units
Contractor(s): Vultee Aircraft - USA