AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 57

bringing it fully aft after takeoff (instead of
the adjacent prop control). Fortunately, the
mixture control has a ratchet that prevents
the airplane from becoming suddenly quiet.
(The ratchet can be bypassed when needing
to lean the mixture.)
After setting the prop to high pitch (low
rpm), all subsequent power changes are
made using throttle only. Set to low or high
pitch, the propeller behaves as if it were a
fixed-pitch propeller—which, in a sense, it
is. Just like when flying with a fixed-pitch
propeller, increasing airspeed increases
rpm, while decreasing speed reduces rpm.
The flight controls are responsive and
reasonably well harmonized, but the ailerons are a bit heavy even though equipped
with servo tabs, a form of aerodynamic
power steering, to reduce stick forces. The
BT doesn’t seem to have any undesirable
traits, but when stalled—even with the
slip-skid ball caged—it falls off on a wing.

Recovery, however, is easy and conventional.
The yellow band of the tachometer,
1,350 rpm to 1,650 rpm, should be avoided
during an approach to landing. Otherwise,
you quickly learn why the Valiant was
affectionately called the Vultee “Vibrator.”
Some claim that this nickname resulted
from the BT’s tendency to shake violently
as it approaches a stall, something I did not
notice. Others say that the canopy vibrates
during aggressive maneuvering. It has been
said, too, that a BT takeoff causes windows
on the ground to vibrate.
The airplane can be landed with 60
degrees of flaps, but this makes touch-andgo landings and missed approaches more
difficult because of the enormous drag.
Having to crank the handle to raise the flaps
at such critical times can be challenging.
Landing with 40 degrees is more practical.
The Vibrator is a joy to land either on the
mains or in three-point attitude.

By the end of 1948 there were 4,000
surplus BT–13s and –15s in civilian hands.
There was one at almost every airport, but
they were expensive to maintain. Many
owners abandoned their aircraft after
their engines had run out. Other BTs were
purchased for their engines, and naked
airframes were abandoned or scrapped.
Although there are now 300 registered
with the FAA, only about 40 remain airworthy. A few BTs were modified to look
like Japanese torpedo bombers and used
in the motion pictures Tora! Tora! Tora!
and Pearl Harbor. These aircraft also
are used in battle reenactments at
airshows.
The author dedicates this article to those
thousands of airmen who trained in the
Vultee Vibrator as they prepared to defend
their country.
AOPA
WEB

www.barryschiff.com

www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 57



http://www.barryschiff.com http://www.aopa.org/pilot

AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013

AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - February 2013
Contents
President’s Position
Visual Approach
Letters
Waypoints
Proficient Pilot
Safety Pilot
License to Learn
Pilot Counsel
Fly Well
Sun Power
Debonair Sweepstakes
People
Test Pilot
GA at Work
Mentor Matters
First in Class
Tale of Three Decades
No-Spin Twin
Shaking Things Up
Breach of Peace
Time in Type
At Home in the Kingdom
Ownership
Proficiency
Technique
Wx Watch
Avionics
Dogfight
Never Again
Membership
State & Local Action
Member Products
AOPA Foundation
Air Safety Institute
AOPA Insurance Services
Fly by Wire
Pilots
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - February 2013
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - President’s Position
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 9
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Visual Approach
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 11
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Letters
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 13
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 14
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 15
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Waypoints
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 17
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Proficient Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 19
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Safety Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 21
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - License to Learn
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 23
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Pilot Counsel
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 25
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Fly Well
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 27
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Sun Power
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 29
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Debonair Sweepstakes
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 31
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - People
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 33
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Test Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - GA at Work
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 37
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 38
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 39
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 40
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 41
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - No-Spin Twin
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 43
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 44
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 45
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 46
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 47
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 48
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 49
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Shaking Things Up
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 51
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 52
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 53
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 54
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 55
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 56
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 57
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Breach of Peace
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 59
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 60
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 61
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 62
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 63
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 64
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 65
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Time in Type
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 67
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 68
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 69
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 70
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 71
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - At Home in the Kingdom
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 73
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 74
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 75
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 76
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Ownership
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 79
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 80
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Proficiency
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 82
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 83
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Technique
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 85
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 86
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Wx Watch
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 88
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Avionics
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 90
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Dogfight
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Never Again
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 93
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 94
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Membership
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - State & Local Action
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 97
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Member Products
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 99
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - AOPA Foundation
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 101
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Air Safety Institute
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 103
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - AOPA Insurance Services
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 105
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 106
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Fly by Wire
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 108
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 109
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 110
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - 111
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Pilots
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2013 - Cover4
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