BT-13 Val Replica Tex Hill Wing
Description:
This American basic trainer aircraft was sold as surplus in 1947 and eventually donated to the CAF in 1978. Originally a BT-13A, it was used to help CAF pilots qualify for the Tora Demonstration Team. In 1991, members modified the BT-13 to resemble a Japanese Val dive bomber. Designated Val BI 257/AI 257, the aircraft became a regular feature at airshows, flown by the CAF’s TORA TORA TORA Team in reenactments of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Base:
San Antonio, TX
Website:
| BT-13 Specs | |
|---|---|
| Role | Trainer |
| Manufacturer | Vultee Aircraft |
| Introduced | Jun 1940 |
| Power | 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 450 hp |
| Length | 28 ft 10 in |
| Height | 11 ft 6 in |
| Wingspan | 42 ft 0 in |
| Range | 725 mi |
This American basic trainer aircraft was sold as surplus in 1947 and eventually donated to the CAF in 1978. Originally a BT-13A, it was used to help CAF pilots qualify for the Tora Demonstration Team. In 1991, members modified the BT-13 to resemble a Japanese Val dive bomber. Designated Val BI 257/AI 257, the aircraft became a regular feature at airshows, flown by the CAF’s TORA TORA TORA Team in reenactments of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
The Vultee BT-13 Valiant was an American basic trainer aircraft from the World War II era, produced by Vultee Aircraft for the U.S. Army Air Corps and later the U.S. Army Air Forces. A later variant of the BT-13 used by the USAAC/USAAF was designated the BT-15 Valiant. In contrast, an identical model used by the U.S. Navy was referred to as the SNV and was utilized to train naval aviators for the U.S. Navy and its sister services, the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Coast Guard.
