Vultee BT-13, the Vibrator
The Vultee BT-13 was the interim aircraft used for basic training, between primary training and advanced training. Note the spindly-fixed-landing gear.
By: Norm Goyer
The Vultee BT-13 was the most popular basic trainer used during World War II. Our future pilots had previously soloed in either a Ryan PT-22, Fairchild PT-19/23/26 or a Boeing/ Stearman PT-17. There were few other primary trainers such as the WACO UPF-7, but the mentioned ones were the most prevalent. The step-up to the BT-13/SNV was a huge one for both Army and Navy cadets. The primary trainers, they had soloed were all open-cockpit, except some PT-26 with a Rawdon hatch (canopy) were used in Canada.. For power the Vultee used the excellent Pratt & Whitney 450-hp nine-cylinder radial engine, very similar, except in size, to the 600-hp version they would use in the Texan. The AT-6/SNJ advanced trainer was their final trainer before receiving their wings and moving on to either bombers or fighters.
The very stable BT-13 had a large dihedral angle. It was a big jump from simple primary trainers to this more powerful, low-wing basic trainer.
Marked
The Vultee was a low wing all-metal or partially plywood covered, during the waning years to conserve aluminum. The basic trainer had a long sliding-canopy. the student sat in the front and the instructor in the rear. His had to be the rottenest job in the entire Army Air Force. The canopy provided the nickname “Vibrator.” When the cadet throttled back on descent and at certain rpms the canopy would come alive and would shake, rattle and roar in its tracks, very loud, very distracting:Thus, the Vultee Vibrator. The BT-13 had a conventional fixed landing gear and a constant-speed prop. The view over the cowling was restrictive, due to the large radial engine and cowling sitting up front. The aircraft had a large dihedral angle and was very stable, making the transition a bit easier. 
The Vultee BT-13 was transformed into a look-alike Japanese “Val”, for the movie “Tora Tora Tora”. Note the number 78 on the tail; this is the aircraft I flew for over a year in Southern California.
The BT-13 also provided the basis for the Tora Tora Tora Hollywood Japanese “Val.” They chopped and lengthened the nose, removed the 450-hp Pratt and installed a firewall-forward 600-hp Pratt from a Texan. They also lengthened the canopy and added a rearward facing seat with a single machine gun pointing backwards. They fabricated huge fiberglass wheel fairings and fake bench ailerons. The resulting look-alike Val was one of the most stable aircraft that I have ever flown. It simply wanted to go straight and level, forever. You had to work at making a turn. I flew Number 78 for many hours over a year’s time. We finally sold it to the Commemorative Air Force in Texas. I hated to see the aircraft go, it was great fun to fly.
After World War II a huge number of Vultee BT-13s were left to rot in fields all over the country. The engines had been removed and installed in PT-17s (Super Stearmans) with many being used for crop dusting. The poor BT-13 was not popular, not appreciated and left to lanquist in fields and on top of roadside businesses, a sad end for a very historic and good aircraft.
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