Stearman 450, Stock Wheels Or BT-13 Wheels ?

[Speeddemon651]

Im looking for some opinions on what wheels to run on a 450 stearman , stock wheels or BT-13 wheels ?

Red Line makes two caliper brake kits for both stock wheels and BT-13 wheels on the stearman. I plan to use to plane mainly for aerobatics and don't plan on running wheel pants. I also will be operating off a paved runway 95% of the time.

Either way i plan on running red line brakes, i just wanted to see what suggestion people might have one over the other. I plan on running red line brakes either way.

The really only pro of the BT-13's is that you can run a lower air pressure and i was told will help you not bounce as much on landing but thy are added weight over stock.

Any experts want to chime in ? Thanks in advance.

[Dan Jones]

The BT wheels were popular on the 450 Stearman because they handled the heavier weight of the 'dusters better, they handled rough fields better, the BT's brakes were generally considered better (maybe...) and all you had to do to go with the BT wheels was to change the axles. But for a modern airplane running at lower weights off of paved strips and using Redlines I doubt you'll see any difference. I took the BT wheels off my 220 Stearman and went back to the original stock wheels and never noticed any difference, although I do prefer the Bendix brakes over the Hayes units.

Dan

[Speeddemon651]

Dan,

Thanks for your imput, my project has Bt-13 wheels, shafts and brakes already. Im a huge fan of red line brakes but i just need to decide stock wheels or keep what i have and add red lines.

I'm thinking i might go back to the stock bendix wheels only because the plane will be close to stock other than the 985 and 4 aileron stc.

I just wanted to see if someone had a solid concrete reason i should run the BT-13 wheels.

[Dan Jones]

I like the look of the smaller wheels myself, and someone with the SRA seems to have figured out what the problem was with the original Bendix brakes grabbing (so far so good, anyway - in my case). Regardless of whichever wheels you use though apparently the Redlines are the brakes to have (I'm putting them on my project, too.) How far along are you?

Dan

[Speeddemon651]

Well it's the remains of a wrecked Stearman that crashed two days before 911 in 2001. A previous owner had it's fuselage taken to H.O. aircraft put in a Jig and completely went through, new gear, tail feathers, center section and left side wings. It's a basic roller right now with most of it's parts there except for the firewall forward.

[marine air]

FWIW, years ago my dad had a Stearman he bought from a broker and it had been part of the Tallmantz collection in 1968. According to the logbooks it had been purchased in 1945 and modified to do airshow work by Paul Mantz and Frank Tallman. That to say, they put the BT 13 engine, control sticks, throttle quadrant, wheels and tires. It had brakes from an automobile, like a 49 Buick or something. The original brakes aren't too good. They also put a headrest. I've been looking for a picture of it back in it's working days as when my dad got it it had been reverted back to a 220 Continental. I don't know if it ever had wheel pants or cowling and spinner.
The only bad thing about the Redline brakes is they are so effective, it's easy to put the plane on it's back, as I witnessed at Sun N Fun a few years ago when a plane taxied in front a Pt-17 in Army markings. Once with the 220 hp. Stearman, my dad was taxiing with me in the back cockpit ( i was a kid) and as he turned to park, he tapped the brakes and the tail came a few feet off the ground. Almost got the prop. We briefly had a 450 hp. Stearman and it had a 5 gallon tank behind the rear cockpit for weight and balance purposes.

[gilt]

I've always understood that the main reason dusters converted to BT wheels was so they could use cheap car tires. Some years ago a duster in Restricted category was at Galesburg with white sidewall car tires.

Tom-

[Speeddemon651]

You are correct, that is certainly one reason. Back when you could buy 25$ dollars AG or Truck tires to mount on 27" inch rims.

[JohnB]

A PM sent....

[sandiego89]

Just make sure you paint the wheels in the "wrong" color, so we on this forum can have something to comment on......

[famvburg]

ISTR the brakes were Studebaker, maybe, maybe not. In the early '80s my dad had a Stearman 450 duster that had either BT-13 or AT-6 wheels (My understanding is that AT-6 wheels were commonly used, too, but that may be as wrong as Studebaker brakes) and when he bought it had car tires on it. He didn't wear them out so they were still on there when he sold it in '86 or '87.

[51fixer]

BT-13 and T-6 Wheels are the same spec, the same and interchangeable.

For more info-
viewtopic.php?f=52&t=53948

[Speeddemon651]

BT-13 and T-6 Wheels are the same spec, the same and interchangeable.For more info-viewtopic.php?f=52&t=53948

Yup, sure are. I had my hands on both T-6 BFgoodrich wheels and BT-13 Hayes wheels today to compare.

[bdk]

I think the Studebaker reference has to do with a common master cylinder conversion.