Vultee BT 13 Valiant

The Valiant was the basic trainer most widely used by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. It represented the second of the three stages of pilot training -- [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Compared with the primary trainers in use at the time, it was considerably more complex.

The BT-13 not only had a more powerful engine, it was also faster and heavier.

In addition, it required the student pilot to use two-way radio communications with the ground and to operate landing flaps and a two-position variable pitch propeller.

Nicknamed the "Vibrator" by the pilots who flew it, the BT-13 was powered by a 450-hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 engine.

Because of a shortage of these engines, however, 1,693 Valiants flew with Wright R-975 engines, thereby becoming BT-15s. By the end of WWII, 10,375 BT-13s and BT-15s had been accepted by the USAAF.

The BT-13B on display, one of 1,775 Bs built, was acquired from Raymond Brandly of West Carrollton, Ohio, in 1965.