The Vultee P-66, P-48, V-48/-61 Vanguard (Models 48, 61) incorporated design elements from the Hughes H-1 racer and detachable outer wing panels for storage.
Vultee V-61 Prototype NX21755
Designed by Dick Palmer as a company demonstrator, the V-48 NX21755 c/n 142 first flew on 9 September 1939, piloted by Vance Breese. The V-48 was powered by a P&W R-1830-S Twin Wasp with an extended propshaft in an elongated low-drag cowling. The original proposal included two rear-firing guns aimed with mirrors. The prototype, NX21755 c/n 142, was later re-designated V-61, then P-48X.
The 1940 P-48X was a redesign of the V-61 with a conventional R-1830-S1 engine because of cooling problems. First flown on 11 February 1940, piloted by Vance Breese, and it crash-landed on May 9 after colliding with a camera plane.
Vultee P-48X NX21755
The 1940 V-48C was the V48-X rebuilt and repowered with a R-1830-S2 engine for export to Sweden’s Flygvapen as the J.10. First flown on 6 September 1940, it was re-registered NX19999 c/n 501, and followed by one production prototype, NX28300 c/n 502.
Vultee V-48C / P-48C NX28300
One-hundred and forty-four were built for Sweden (42-6832 to 42-6975), but diverted to the RCAF, who in turn released 129 of them after the outbreak of WW2 as Lend-Lease to China as P-66, and so marked with US insignia. Of the total about 50 were impressed for Army stateside assignment, and 12 transferred to 23 Fighter Group in China.
The BC-3 (Model 51 aka BC-51) Army basic combat trainer first flew on 24 March 1939 (piloted by Eddie Allen). The only one built, 39-720, was tested by the Army, who purchased the test model for upgrading as BC-3, one of the only three BC classifications (the other two were North Americans).
Vultee BC-3 39-720
Following 1939 tests with the BC-3 variant with retractable landing gear and a 447-kW (600-hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1320-45 radial, the army opted for the lower-powered Model 54 with fixed landing gear. Designed by Richard Palmer, Walt Hite, and others, the initial contract called for 300 aircraft (40-810-1109).
Vultee BT-13
The 1939 V54 (Model 51D) was a retractable-gear export model demonstrator with a 600hp R-1340-S1 engine. The one prototype built, NX21753 c/n 140, first flew on 15 November 1939 piloted by Gil Clark), but crashed on 16 November 1939.
Vultee V-54 / 51D NX21753
The 1940 V54-A NX21754 c/n 141 was a faired, fixed gear, 450hp R-985-AN-1 powered prototype of the BT-13. It first flew on 28 July 1940.
Vultee V54-A NX21754
The BT-13s were followed by orders for no fewer than 6,407 BT-l3As and 1,125 BT-l3Bs with a 24- rather than 12-volt electrical system.
The 1940 BT-13A was powered by a 450hp R-985-AN-1 engine. Gear fairings were deleted in 1941. A total of 7,037 were built: 41-1211-1710, 41-9587-9979, 41-10410-11586, 41-21162-23161, 42-1164-1743, 42-42201-43257, and 42-88674-89573, plus 430 (41-09980-10409) to the USN and USCG as SNV-1, and 12 to the Peruvian AF.
Vultee BT-13A
Vultee 54 Peru export with fairings
The 1941 BT-13B featured a 24v electrical system. 1,125 were built (42-89574-90698, and 44-31511-32160), with the last batch of 650 transferred to USN as SNV-2. Totals of all models include Lend-Lease exports to China, France, Haiti, Indonesia, Israel, the Philippines, and South American nations.
Demand far outstripped engine supplies, however, and in 1941 the USAAF ordered the BT-15 variant with the 336-kW (450-hp) Wright R-975-11 radial, and production of this model totalled 1,263. (41-9980-10409, 42-1744-2063, and 42-41258-42200)
Vultee BT-15 42-41894
The US Navy procurement began with the 1940 US Navy SNV-1, the same as BT-13A. 1,125 (02983-03182, 05675-05874, and 12492-12991) (USN serials total 1,350, but is unexplained—perhaps includes a cancelled batch), with 2 (V222 and V223) to USCG, plus 450 (34135-34584) transferred from USAAF (44-31511-32160, et al) aircraft were retired soon after the war.
Vultee SNV-1 N56319
These were followed by 650 SNV-2s, equivalent to the BT-13B, in 1944. They were BT-13B transferred from the USAAF (44-31511-32010 became 52050-52549, and 32011-32160 became 44038-44187).
Circa 1950 of 3 Vultee BT-13s at Puente Sky Ranch
When production ceased in 1944, 11,537 had been built.
A later development of the Vultee V-11 was the V-12, a streamlined alternative to the largely unsuccessful type. First flown on 13 September 1938, the prototype aircraft (NX18985) was sold to Pratt and Whitney aircraft as a test bed until scrapped in 1950.
The 1939 export designation for the AB-2 (Model V-12) first flew (as V-12C) in February 1940. The single prototype was registered NX28367.
Vultee V-12D
An order from China for 26 V-12C (with 1100hp Wright R-1820) and 52 V-12D (with 1600hp Wright R-2600) resulted in shipment of one each, the rest were delivered in parts for assembly overseas.
The prototype Vultee V-11 Army attack bomber NX14999 c/n 28 first flew on 17 September 1935, piloted by T C Van Stone. It crashed on take-off for its second flight the next day, killing Van Stone and project engineer Duald L Blue.
Vultee V-11 NX14999
The second V11 prototype, but with 1800hp P&W R-2800 Double Wasp and three-blade prop, NX/NR/NC14980 c/n 29, first flew on 9 October 1935 as a demonstrator for the South America market.
Vultee V-11A NR14980
The second V11 prototype, built first as a V-11A, it was later modified as the fixed-gear V-11T for Pratt & Whitney’s use in engine testing, first flying on 21 January 1940.
Vultee V-11T NC14980
Ultimately refitted with 2000hp R-2800, it was destroyed in a crash on 20 March 1945.
The V-11G and -11GB were versions with a 1000hp Wright SGR-1820-G2 Cyclone. The V-11G was a two-seater, and -11GB sat three (pilot, bombardier, gunner) with a retractable ventral gun position. One was built as a company test hack on wheels (NX/NR17327) and seven with a 1200hp P&W R-1830-17 went to the USAAC in 1939 for field testing as YA-19 (38-549 to 38-555).
Vultee V-11GB Ventral gun station
China ordered 30 two-seat Vultee V-11Gs in 1937-38 and then more Vultee V-12s (a more powerful variant) which they were planning to assemble from kits (25 were finished)
At the end of June 1935, information reached Moscow about the new American Vultee V-11 attack and bomber aircraft. In a report to Defense Commissar Kliment Efremovich Voroshilov on the acquisition of aircraft production licenses in the United States, the chief of staff of the VVS RKKA VK Lavrov placed special emphasis on the excellent characteristics of the V-11 in terms of speed and range. In fairness compared to the obsolete R-5Sh and R-5SSS the approach was valid.
As a consequence, the Vultee V-11 was part of the purchase of production licenses approved by the Labor and Defense Committee (STO) on April 11, 1935.
On September 7, 1936, the Soviet foreign trade company “ Amtorg ” signed a contract with the American firm “ Airplane Development Corporation”, to which Vultee belonged at that time . The content of the negotiation stipulated the granting of a license to the Main Directorate of the Aeronautical Industry (GUAP) of the People’s Committee for Heavy Industry (NKTP) for the construction of the V-11 in two variants: V-11G as attack aircraft and V-11GB as a light bomber. This latest version incorporated a third member of the crew serving as navigator-bomber.
In 1937 two examples were received in flight condition and another two unarmed, which were thoroughly studied by the TsAGI and the NII VVS. The four -11GB were NR17328-17329 and 2 unregistered, along with some EDO sets to transform them into -11GBS seaplane and -11GBF floatplane attack bombers.
In the USSR in 1937
The North American counterpart delivered the plans with detailed engineering, the specifications, instructions and description of the processes, documentation on the jobs and the technological processes, as well as the technical data of the ground and flight tests of the model, as well as the obtained in tests in wind tunnels; resistance calculations and more than 300 photographs of details and aggregates. The purchase of several copies, parts and pieces was also considered to facilitate the start of series production. An interesting detail was the request from the USSR to modify all the schematics and plans of the model under the international metric system.
The Vultee firm delivered two fully assembled examples to be used as a basis for comparison, both with a Wright SR-1820-G2 engine and full armament and without a radio. The first, with number “ 32 ”, left the production workshops on December 22 , 1936 . It was planned to be sent to the USSR in January 1937, but the appearance of small defects delayed the decision. This first example took flight on January 31, 1937 and was tested by pilot SA Levanievsky on February 2 with the mechanic Chiechin. Levanievsky rated the aircraft positively in terms of maneuverability, stability and ease of flight.
The tests were carried out until mid-February 1937 and the chief of technical supply of the VVS Bazienkov and the director of the TsAGI Jarlamov participated as observers. It was flown from the Vultee factory airfield and from the military base in Long Beach. Tests were carried out over the ocean of weapons firing and bomb drops. The “ 32 ” was tested as an attack aircraft version and as a light bomber. A second specimen with number ” 33 ” flew for the first time on February 26. The Soviet delegation received the first issue in March and the second in April. Two other copies ” 34 ” and ” 35″ were delivered” in parts and without engine.
Upon arrival in the USSR the planes were studied in depth. The “ 33 ” plane was sent directly to the NII VVS to carry out the state tests, keeping the American equipment and weapons. In the first half of 1937 the V-11GB was studied in detail at the TsAGI and the NII VVS. The test pilot designated to lead the tests was Captain AK Dolgov, but the plane was flown by a large number of pilots, including the head of the institute NN Bazhenkov and the experienced test pilots Stefanovski, Fedrov, Niuxtikov.
The tests of the ” 33 ” contemplated the complete range, including its air combat simulation, completing a total of 70 flight hours. Test results were conflicting. On the one hand, the NII VVS concluded that due to its weapons and equipment capacity, the V-11 could be used as an attack and bomber aircraft. However, due to its speed and turnaround time, it was already obsolete. With a similarly underpowered engine, the Nieman R-10 bested the V-11 by 30 km/h and reached 5000 meters 5.6 minutes earlier. In the parameters of takeoff and landing characteristics, the R-10 was also superior.
The V-11’s armament was also considered obsolete. The rear firing point had a poor operating angle and did not guarantee the protection of the plane against the attack of the fighters. The absence of a lower turret (which was removed from the aircraft delivered to the USSR ) left all that area exposed to enemy attack. During simulated combats with I-16 Type 4 it was demonstrated that the V-11 was unable to escape before the attack of the fighters and to defend against their attack. Another conclusion established the absence of capacity to carry containers of chemical weapons (at that time in the USSR great importance was given to this type of armament). The bomb racks were not designed to allow the attachment of Soviet containers. Finally the Vultee V-11 was not prepared to work in the harsh Russian winter.
On the other hand, the Vultee V-11 showed the Soviet builders many new aspects. The construction technology, the materials used, many construction details and technological solutions were carefully studied and documented in order to introduce them into the productive process of the Soviet aeronautical industry.
High value was given to the comfort of the cockpit and the excellent visibility, the effective amortization system of the landing gear and brakes. The retraction system of the landing gear units was studied in detail. The measures taken to reduce the vibrations transmitted by the engine to the fuselage structure were highly valued.
The aircraft was easy to assemble and disassemble, and the designers provided easy access to all vital mechanisms and accessories for maintenance and repairs.
From the point of view of the flight, the stability in flight, the excellent work of all the mechanisms and the reliability of the engine were highly valued.
After evaluating the positive and negative aspects of the V-11G, it was decided to proceed to mass production of the model under the name BSh-1, its production being assigned to the OKB-1 led by S. A Kochierigin. In the issued documents it is clear that the fundamental reason was not to assess the possibilities of the model, but the possibility of becoming familiar with the new technological processes used in the construction of this aircraft. The production of the V-11G was considered to be the first step towards the development of a modern and effective bomber and attack aircraft for Soviet aviation.
Forty -11GB went to Turkey redesignated -11GBT, and 26 -11GB to Brazil in 1938-39 as -11GB2, the last of which was modified with EDO floats as 11GB2F for the Brazilian Navy, as also was prototype NX21719 in hopes of civil sales, which didn’t occur.
Vultee V-11GB2F
The three-place A-19 attack bomber from the V-11GB was all-metal except for the tail control surfaces. The YA-19 (Model V-11GB) first flew on 27 January 1939 and of the seven, three were converted from V-11G and repowered as XA-19 series.
Out of the five Vultee YA-19 (Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R-1830-17 radials) three-seat attack bombers delivered to the USAAF in 1939, three underwent engine changes to become the XA-19A (Lycoming); XA-19B (P&W Double Wasp R-2800-1) and XA-19C (P&W Twin Wasp R-1839-51).
The XA-19A served as a flying testbed for the 12-cylinder, liquid cooled XO-1230-1, with 1200 hp for take-off. To compensate for the increased side area and fuselage length (increased by 5in to 38ft 3in) the Gerald Vultee fin was altered to give more area. Despite the improved frontal area streamlining, the XA-19A improved the maximum speed by only 2 mph, to 232 mph. The span was 50 ft.
Vultee YA-19
The 1940 XA-19A (Model V-11) featured an enlarged, triangular fin and 1200hp Lycoming O-1230-1 engine. The one was converted from a YA-19 and first flew on 22 May 1940. It later became a XA-19C.
Vultee XA-19A
YA-19 38-550 was converted to the XA-19B in 1939, powered by an 1800hp P&W R-2800-1 engine.
Vultee XA-19C 38-555
Converted from XA-19A 38-555, the 1939 XA-19C 1939 was powered by a 1200hp P&W R-1830-1/-51.
The aircraft had limited combat success with the Chinese, and a Brazilian Vultee V-11 made an attack on a submarine, damaging itself in the process. Later developments would have a rear facing gunner at the back of the cockpit plus a rear-facing ventral gun position protruding from the bottom. Most were later used as high speed liaison and transport aircraft.
The 1933 Vultee V-1 was designed by Gerard Vultee and Vance Breese as an eight-passenger monoplane. Built in backer E L Cord’s Glendale hangar, it is sometimes seen as Cord-Vultee V-1, the prototype first flew on 19 February 1933, piloted by Marshall Headle.
Vultee V-1 Prototype NX12293
The V-1 prototype, as V-1A, went to American Airways/Airlines registered NX12293. It was sold to Spain in 1937 and registered F-AQAP. The French registration was political camouflage.
Sixteen V1-A and V1-AD were built as V1A-A from 1934 (ATC 545) priced at $35,000; NC4249, NC13764-NC13774, NC16000, NC16099, NC17326, and C-FAWQ, included 10 to American Airlines, and 8 as six-place V-1AD “deluxe” executive models with 850hp SR-1820-G2 engines (NC14248 – NC14256).
Vultee V-1A NC14251
NC16099 was repowered with a 1000hp SR-1820-G5 as the six-place V-1AD Special for Hearst newspapers. NC13770 was used in setting a transcontinental speed record on 1/14-15 January 1935, piloted by James Doolittle, and a record first round-trip transatlantic flight was made in September 1936 as Lady Peace, piloted by Dick Merrill.
Vultee V-1A NC16099
Fifteen V-1As were acquired from American Airlines and others in 1937 and went to Spain where they were converted as bombers and recon aircraft.
Vultee V-1A American Airlines
The 1936 V-1AS Special (ATC 2-539) was a twin-EDO float version built for the Soviet government for a 10,000-mile Santa Monica-Moscow flight, via Alaska and Siberia, in Aug-Sep 1936. Registered URSS-N208, the aircraft was piloted by Sigismund Levanevski and Victor Levchenko. It featured added fuel tanks in the cabin, enlarged tail group, and special cold-weather cowl. Additionally, manufacturing rights were sold to the USSR in October 1936, but none were produced there.
Two brothers named Wilson and Harvey Doyle were 1925 graduates of Harvard and Yale respectively and left their home town of Charlotte, North Carolina, for Detroit, Michigan. After some time spent working for others and trying to obtain financial backing, they moved to Portsmouth, Ohio, where they came in contact with William Burke of the Vulcan Last Company. Burke backed their plan to build a two-place, tandem, open-cockpit parasol sportplane and the Vulcan Aircraft Division began in 1928 design work in a rented second floor room and construction in a former street car barn in Portsmouth.
Designed by Harvey Doyle, Dwight Huntington, and Jan Pavlecka, the result was the Vulcan “American Moth” NX4243 two-seat lightweight sporting aircraft. Burke chose the name in order to take advantage of the popularity of the British de Havilland “Moth.” A publicity tour of Florida ensued in which a parachutist, Benny Martinez, jumped from the Moth carrying a set of Vulcan golf clubs.
Priced at $2,500, it was later re-powered with 90hp LeBlond.
The plane was a hit, but the relationship among the principles was deteriorating and the Doyle brothers left to start their own Doyle Aircraft Company in Baltimore.
Engine: 60 hp Detroit Air-Cat Wingspan: 30’9″ Length: 18’0″ Useful load: 540 lb Max speed: 115 mph Cruise: 96 mph Stall: 43 mph Range: 400 mi Seats: 2
Vulcanair was the owner of the former Partenavia group and at Paris 2003 exhibited its VF600W Mission, a utility design which resembles Cessna’s Caravan. The prototype, I-VAVF, first flew in Januarv 2001 and had accumulated 30hr flying to date. Powered by a single Czech built 777shp Walter M601F 11 turboprop driving a five blad¬ed propeller, the design was aiming for cer¬tification in March 2004. This cargo/passenger aircraft has a fuselage shape which allows palletised cargo.
Engine: 1 x Walter M601 turboprop, 777 shp Payload: 1600 kg or 11 pax Crew: 1
Single seat single engined high wing mono¬plane with two axis control. Wing has swept back leading and trailing edges, and tapering chord; no tail, canard wing. Pitch control by fully flying canard; yaw control by tip rud¬ders; no separate roll control, control inputs through stick for pitch/yaw. Wing braced from above by kingpost and cables, from below by cables; wing profile; double ¬surface. Undercarriage has three wheels in tricycle formation; suspension on nose¬wheel and glass fibre suspension on main wheels. Push right go left nosewheel steering independent from yaw control. Brake on nosewheel. Aluminium tube framework, without pod. Engine mounted below wing driving pusher propeller. These aircraft are Germa¬nisations of the Fledgling designed by Klaus Hill. The Vulcan uses the Fledge in conjunction with a canard. This company, however, has instead of using a one piece canard, the Traveler uses two mobile surfaces articulated separately from the aircraft’s two main horizontal tubes. Acting as elevators, these two surfaces are operated from the stick via a push rod. The frame has been completely redesigned by Vulcan. The wings used are Fledge II or Fledge III, but Vulcan modifies them by adding trapezoidal vertical surfaces acting as winglets, to reduce tip vortices. Travelers are available under the name of Traveller II or Traveller III, depending upon the wing used, deli-vered built but without power pack. This is either a Lloyd 22 hp or the Cuyuna 430R 30hp. Two propellers were on offer, one a fixed pitch two blade and the other a three blade ground adjustable pitch. Only 20 examples had been produced by March 1983 and sold purely in West Germany.
Traveller II Height overall 6.4ft, 1.95m Wing span 32.5ft, 9.90m Chord at root 5.5ft, 1.68m Chord at tip 4.5ft, 1.37 m Nose angle 144 deg Main wing area 163 sq.ft, 15.1 sq.m Wing aspect ratio 6.5/1 Engine: Lloyd LS400, 22 hp at 5500 rpm Propeller diameter 36 inch, 0.91 m Max static thrust 177 lb, 80kg Power per unit area 0.13hp/sq.ft, 1.45hp/sq.m Fuel capacity 5.3 US gal, 4.4 Imp gal, 20.0 litre Empty weight 137 lb, 62 kg Max take off weight 442 lb, 200 kg Payload 305 lb, 138 kg Max wing loading 2.71 lb/sq.ft, 13.2 kg/sq.m Max power loading 20.1 lb/hp, 9.1kg/hp Never exceed speed 56mph, 90kph Max cruising speed 47mph, 75kph Economic cruising speed 35 mph, 56 kph Stalling speed 22 mph, 35 kph Max climb rate at sea level 680 ft/min, 3.5 m/s Best glide ratio with power off 9/1 Take off distance 100ft, 30 m Landing dis¬tance 65 ft, 20 m Range at average cruising speed 124 mile, 200 km
Traveller III Height overall 6.4ft, 1.95m Wing span 32.5ft, 9.90m Nose angle 144 deg Main wing area 157 sq.ft, 14.6 sq.m Wing aspect ratio 6.7/1 Engine: Lloyd LS400, 22 hp at 5500 rpm Propeller diameter 36 inch, 0.91 m Max static thrust 177 lb, 80kg Power per unit area 0.14hp/sq.ft, 1.50hp/sq.m Fuel capacity 5.3 US gal, 4.4 Imp gal, 20.0 litre Empty weight 143 lb, 65 kg Max take off weight 468 lb, 220 kg Payload 342 lb, 155 kg Max wing loading 3.10 lb/sq.ft, 15.1 kg/sq.m Max power loading 22.1 lb/hp, 10.0kg/hp Never exceed speed 56mph, 90kph Max cruising speed 44mph, 70kph Economic cruising speed 32 mph, 52 kph Stalling speed 19 mph, 30 kph Max climb rate at sea level 790 ft/min, 4.0 m/s Best glide ratio with power off 10/1 Take off distance 100ft, 30 m Landing dis¬tance 65 ft, 20 m Range at average cruising speed 124 mile, 200 km
Later Vuia aircraft, al¬though more conventional for their time and (in the case of the No 2 design) fitted with a more reliable engine, did not achieve flights of any great length compared with others of their day.
Designed and built by Romanian pioneer Traian Vuia in 1907, the No.2 was claimed to be a rebuilt Vuia 1.
The compact airframe and folded wings are distinctive features of this design which was powered by a 25 hp Antoinette motor.
One of the first Europeans to make a powered flight (18 March 1906) in his own aeroplane. Traian Vuia is claimed as Romania’s first aviator, although at the time of his early flights he was resident in Paris and his birthplace was then apart of the Austro-Hungarian empire. His first aeroplane, built with the assistance of Frenchman Victor Tatin, travelled no more than 78.75 ft (24 m) on its longest hop-flight, but had several novel features, including a variable incidence wing and an undercarriage with pneumatic tyres.
The endurance of the motor was only three minutes.
Engine: modified Serpollet carbonic acid gas engine, 20 hp Prop: 7 ft 2.5 in (2.20 m) dia two blade Wing span: 22 ft 11.5 in (7.00 m) Length: 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) Wing area: 204.5 sq.ft. (19,00 sq.m) Gross weight: 531 lb (241 kg) Seats: 1
All Aero 