Barn find Vultee BTs

[Chris Brame]

As I mentioned on the Air Scouts B-17 thread, I just got back from Paducah, KY where my folks and I were visiting old family and friends. One of them was one of my late uncle's best friends whom I hadn't seen since about 1977; my dad had mentioned seeing some BT-13 parts in his barn. He said one was a six-seat passenger conversion. This time I finally got to take a look, and well,

He said he'd been collecting BT-13 bits and pieces for a long time, and lacked only an engine, a left inboard flap, and a tail cone to build a complete aircraft. The six-seater was found in New Mexico.

With my friend's permission to share the images (must stress this), here you go:











To its right is this BT-15 fuselage center section and a set of outer wings:


Then further back, two more BT-13 fuselage center sections, a wing center section and a set of outer wings, still wearing USAAF yellow and star:










Outside on a trailer was this wing center section with landing gear:


Another vertical and a couple more horizontal stabilizers are tucked away:




Wow. So for the obvious question: No, nothing is currently for sale. He said some time ago someone from the CAF was pestering him for one of the landing gear but wanted him to donate it; they didn't even want to try to trade for the tailcone and flap he needed... The owner is a real nice Southern gentleman and doesn't deserve to be taken advantage of.

Next question: No, I didn't get any serials other than the first one's N-number; didn't really want to go digging into everything plus it was very dark in there - I had to lighten all the photos as it was.

On the six-seater - N59192 info from Aerial Visuals here:
http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier ... rial=61053

It's not a Viceroy conversion, but it looks nearly identical to the one which was posted here on WIX by Eric Stevens a while back (fourth image):

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=33177

The stripe is narrower and the little window below the windscreen doesn't quite match, but otherwise the same. Anyone have info on who did the conversions?

Hope you enjoyed the photos!

Last edited by Chris Brame on Sat Jul 04, 2015 11:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[cooper9411]

Very cool Chris. Thanks for the post/pic's.

[Warbird Kid]

Awesome! I can't lie, I wouldn't mind acquiring this cache of BT parts. Start my own squadron of replica Vals.

[TAdan]

Great collection! Wonderful that he let you have a look. Thanks for sharing.

[Pogo]

Easily the coolest post I've seen ... all day...

[JohnB]

I knew a CAF member in Abilene who had a flying Vultee and parts for another one in his off-airport storage yard.
I wonder how many more are out there?

I don't hold out much hope for a barn-find Mustang, Thunderbolt or Corsair, but I'll bet there are a few BT-13s around that someone bought "back in the day" and never got around to rebuilding/restoring.

[Fouga23]

That 6 seater is amazing!

[DH82EH]

Good to see all this stuff under cover as well.
Thanks for posting and thanks to your friend for sharing with us.

Andy

[M-62A]

From the January 1968 USCAR: N59192, c/no. 7351.

and from Vultee resources: c/no. 7351 = BT-13A-VU, 41-22921.

Tony Broadhurst

[b29flteng]

About 27 years ago I visited a place out in the middle of nowhere west Texas, some guy had about seven BT-13 airframes in a shed. We were looking to buy the lot, I think for $3,500, to use as parts for a BT restoration. Most had wooden rear fuselages with the metal parts looking like the above photos. We figured it would cost more to ship the airframes than to buy them. We decided to pass on the purchase of them.

I believe 99% of the barn find BT-13s were purchased were to rob the engines for use on Stearmans as crop sprayers and the airframes pushed off into oblivion.

[Scott Rose]

Neat stuff, will have to add this info to the registry.

[dirtysidedown430]

Looking at that 6 seater bt13 the Russians did that to one of their trainers. Think it was a Yak 18, think Boris and Natasha steal plans from Vutee give to Fearless leader, Moose and Squirrel drop ball on that one.

[JohnB]

One of my reference books say the BT-13 has a 1100 lbs useful load.
Must be 5 very light passengers.

[Chris Brame]

From the January 1968 USCAR: N59192, c/no. 7351.

and from Vultee resources: c/no. 7351 = BT-13A-VU, 41-22921.

Tony Broadhurst

Thanks Tony!

Neat stuff, will have to add this info to the registry.

Be my guest to use the images, Scott.
My friend told me there was another BT-13 that crashed at Barkley Field in the '50s that was buried at the airport somewhere, and also saw a PT-19 crash near there in 1949 (looks like NC5452_, couldn't turn up anything on that number):


Speaking of BT-13s, Leon Cleaver (Woodsy Airfield) has some interesting photos I'll be scanning to post soon...

[M-62A]

and also saw a PT-19 crash near there in 1949 (looks like NC5452_, couldn't turn up anything on that number)

Chris,
I can offer three possibilities:
PT-19A NC54520, T41-963, 41-14999.
PT-23A NC54521, 434HO, 42-49410.
PT-19A-AE NC54523, 10484AE, 43-31610.

I have included the PT-23 because I cannot tell from the image whether the crashed aircraft had an inline or a radial engine.
I have no idea of the final fate any of the above but none appear to survived to be included in the 1968 USCAR.
If anyone has access to one of the 1946 U.S. registers you might find if any of the three had an owner in KY.
I would certainly be interested if an answer could be found.

If you visit the BT-13s again I think the i/d plates are on the turnover pylon. That is my recall of having a close look at several at Oshkosh some years back.

Tony Broadhurst