What the heck is this? BT-13?

Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:06 pm

I found these pics of a funny looking airplane in my inherited albums...

The N-Number comes up as a "Price Viceroy" Serial Number 1...

Looks like a modified BT-13 to me...

Any info on this one?
Thanks
Z

Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:19 pm

The six place BT. Heard of it, but never saw pictures before.

Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:32 pm

Wow, very cool! I had seen one other very bad picture of it, but have never seen any this good. Any more shots, any idea where and when they were taken? I'd love to see what they did to the interior and the roll over structure.... Paul Krumrei can probably give you a good history of it on his site. Last I heard it was in storage after being offered on Trade-a-plane many years ago. Thanks for sharing!

Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:51 pm

Yeah... I saw one of these BT conversions advertised for sale a couple years back and thought it would be pretty cool. I have heard them called the poor mans Spartan Executive! Wonder how many were converted?

Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:51 pm

This was taken at Oshkosh in the mid to late 70s. Looks like the same plane.

Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:19 am

Years ago my father had about a dozen BT-13 tubulars in various stages of completeness. A couple of them had seat modifications for 3 and 4 seat versions. Some were pretty funky including one that looked like a metal chair converted into a seat. We traded them away to Aero Trader a number of years ago.

Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:37 am

Yea, I *WANT* that one really bad.

Also known as a McKissick Viceroy.

Mon Jan 22, 2007 4:56 am

rwdfresno wrote:Years ago my father had about a dozen BT-13 tubulars in various stages of completeness. A couple of them had seat modifications for 3 and 4 seat versions. Some were pretty funky including one that looked like a metal chair converted into a seat. We traded them away to Aero Trader a number of years ago.

Interesting - I have an ex Aero Trader BT tubular.

Mon Jan 22, 2007 10:45 am

Interesting!

I have never heard of this conversion. The only thing it says on the photos is Waco, TX, no date...

I found this with McKissick Viceroy search
Viceroy 1976 = 6pClwM conversion of surplus Vultee BT-13 trainer into an executive transport; 450hp P&W R-985. POP: 1 [N62571], reported active into the late 1990s operating in an experimental/exhibition category.

http://aerofiles.com/mck-viceroy.jpg

Would love to see it.
Thanks guys!
Z[/i]

Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:19 am

Interesting - I have an ex Aero Trader BT tubular.

Did yours have the tabs for fastening the fuselage skins cut off? For some reason almost all of them had them cut off.

Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:18 pm

From the FAA database....

Serial Number: 1
Type Registration: Individual
Manufacturer Name: PRICE
Certificate Issue Date: 03/05/1999
Model: VICEROY
Status: Valid
Type Aircraft: Fixed Wing Single-Engine
Type Engine: Reciprocating
Pending Number Change:None
Dealer:No
Date Change Authorized: None
Mode S Code: 52026067
MFR Year: 1976
Fractional Owner: NO

Registered Owner
Name WATKINS SHERRIE K PRICE
Street 3667 INGLESIDE DR
City DALLAS State TEXAS
Zip Code 75229-6040
County DALLAS
Country UNITED STATES
Airworthiness
Engine Manufacturer: P&W
Classification: Experimental
Engine Model: R-985 SERIES
Category: Exhibition
A/W Date: 04/30/1980

Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:54 pm

rwdfresno wrote:
Interesting - I have an ex Aero Trader BT tubular.

Did yours have the tabs for fastening the fuselage skins cut off? For some reason almost all of them had them cut off.

Oh yea... Somebody went to a huge ammount of trouble to de-mill that thing. It would have been a lot less trouble to have just cut it in half but somebody spent a couple hours with it with a torch. Fortunately I have another one that although rotten is intact to make the fixtures from for replacing the tabs. Just about every tab for mounting anything to it was removed yet the basic structure of it is near perfect. I was told that it came from the Mojave before it went to California.