It Is Estimated That Fewer Than 40 BT-13s Remain

One of the most widely used trainers during WWII, the BT-13 was much more complex than the other primary trainers. It possessed a more powerful engine, was faster and heavier, had landing flaps and a two-position variable pitch propeller, and flying the BT-13 required two-way communicate with ground personnel. Today it is estimated that fewer than 40 BT-13s remain in flying condition.

Donated to the museum by Mike Abajian, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel, the BT-13 was built for the Navy in San Diego near the end of World War II. Navy variants of the BT-13 were given the designation SNV (a scout trainer built by Vultee). The aircraft spent its entire service career at the Great Lakes Naval Station, where it was used as a “station hack”. A station hack,(a.k.a. a “squadron hack” was an aircraft assigned to a base that primarily flew other types of aircraft than the hack aircraft.

The Vultee BT-13, Boeing Stearman PT-17 and the Fairchild PT-19 were the three most widely used trainers employed by the United States military during World War II.

Training for new pilots consisted of four 10-week phases. The first phase of training was conducted in the classroom. The second through fourth phases consisted of cockpit flying experience, with each phase being progressively more challenging than the last, and each phase introducing the pilot candidate to a more challenging and sophisticated aircraft. The phases were respectively named Primary, Basic, and Advanced training. The Boeing Stearman PT-17 or the Fairchild PT-19 were used for Primary training, the Vultee BT-13 was commonly used for Basic training, and the North American AT-6 was used for Advanced training.

In the late 1930s Vultee used its own money to develop a military trainer. However, the US Army Air Corps considered the engine of the trainer too powerful and the aircraft too complex for fledgling pilots. Vultee responded by building a new trainer which became the BT-13. The Army Air Corps ordered 300 of the aircraft in 1939, an order that was the largest of its kind at the time.

The Lone Star Flight Museum is a 501(c)(3) aviation museum and STEM learning center with a mission to preserve, educate and inspire. Led by CEO, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Douglas H. Owens, LSFM’s new $38 million state of the art facility at Houston’s Ellington Airport opened September 16, 2017. In addition to the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, the 130,000 square foot facility houses the Museum’s renowned flying collection of historic aircraft, a $1 million, high-tech Aviation Learning Center and dynamic hands-on exhibits.

FMI: www.lonestarflight.org/