Vultee BT-13 Valiant
With the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden, Sanicole will present some of the aircraft that played an interesting role in the Dutch military during the Second World War.
Coming over from the airfield at Lelystad is the historic Vultee BT-13A, thanks to the Early Birds foundation. This type was essential to the training of allied pilots during World War II and has strong bonds with the Dutch military at this crucial juncture in time as many pilots were trained on it in the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School at Jackson Army Airfield (RNMFS) in the period May 1942 until February 1944. About 60 Valiants were part of RNMFS, and they were nicknamed the ‘Vibrators‘ because the canopy would shake during flight.
The Valiant was significantly more powerful than basic flight trainers at the time and was therefore an important milestone in the progress of military pilots before continuing to combat aircraft. The Early Birds BT-13 was built in 1943 and came over to The Netherlands in 2013. This year will mark the first time this type has appeared at Sanicole.
Discover this remarkable part of Dutch aviation history in the static display at the International Sanicole Airshow on 21 &22 September 2024 at Hechtel-Eksel.
Fabrikant/Manufacturer:
Vultee Aircraft
Tech Specif::
Length: 28 ft 10 in (8.79 m)
Wingspan: 42 ft 0 in (12.80 m)
Height: 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m)
Empty weight: 3,375 lb (1,531 kg)
Maximum speed: 180 mph (290 km/h, 160 kn)
Power:
1 × Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 450 hp (340 kW)