Vultee BT-15 Valiant

Vultee Aircraft · United States · first flew 1941 · transport aircraft

The Vultee BT-15 Valiant is a variant of the BT-13 basic trainer with a different engine, used to provide intermediate pilot training for the US Army Air Forces during World War II.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Tandem cockpits under long greenhouse canopy, rounded fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Fixed main undercarriage on low-wing USAAC basic trainer
Tandem cockpits under long greenhouse canopy, rounded fuselage
Wright R-975-11 Whirlwind radial in blunt cowling

Fixed spatted main gear, long greenhouse tandem canopy, radial engine cowling, and a round-tipped low wing are the hallmarks of the Valiant; indistinguishable in silhouette from the BT-13.

Specifications

The Vultee BT-15 Valiant has a length of 8.84 m (29 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.8 m (42 ft).
Its maximum speed is 298 km/h (185 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Vultee built over 11,000 BT-13/15 Valiants, making it the most-produced basic trainer of the war era. The BT-15 used the Wright R-975 Whirlwind instead of the Pratt & Whitney R-985 of the BT-13, addressing engine supply shortages. Student pilots nicknamed it the 'Vultee Vibrator' for its airframe resonance characteristics.

Variants

The BT-13A and BT-13B used the Pratt & Whitney R-985; the BT-15 substituted the Wright R-975. All variants were externally similar and served the same training role.

Where you'll see it

Served at USAAF basic flying training schools across the US from 1941 to 1945; some examples were subsequently sold to civil operators post-war.

Related aircraft

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