Northrop BT-1

Allied Wings No. 3
By Phil H. Listemann
RAF in Combat, ©2008
ISBN 978-295-26-3817-3
Softbound, 42 Pages

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

The Northrop BT-1 is a somewhat ungainly-looking aircraft, but it is one of those planes that the more you look at it, the more you like it. Thus, the latest in the Allied Wings series is a welcome addition to pre-war US Naval aviation research. Like the previous titles in the Allied Wings series, this is a small monograph. Then again, the BT-1 was not exactly a plane that had an extensive service career, so this is understandable. Given its limited usage, it is surprising the amount of photos the author was able to collect on the type, including one in color!

For organization, the book is laid out quite nicely, beginning with a short introduction to the type and its mission. This helps a lot in understanding the design processes that went into creating the BT-1, as well as why it had limited service. Speaking of which, the operational usage is next in the book in a chapter detailing the specific units that flew the BT-1. These include VB-5 and VB-6 in frontline service, but these two units held onto their BT-1s for only a short time before trading them in for the SBD. The second line duties, though, offer some very interesting items, including Barclay camouflages and training duties. While most retained their yellow wing/silver fuselage appearance throughout their flying careers, at least one was camouflaged in the blue/gray scheme.

After the operational record comes the aircraft register. This chapter details each one of the 54 BT-1s that were built, with information on delivery date, operational units, and ultimate disposition. For those lost, the events of the loss are given as well, and reading these really highlights the problems of the BT-1. The most common events were stalls, either on landing or at altitude, with the latter causing the plane to enter into a spin. Following these individual histories, there are several pages of color profiles (although none of the Barclay experimental schemes are depicted here), then several pages of detail photos.

For those itching to build the predecessor to the very successful SBD Dauntless, this is an invaluable reference. The amount of information presented is astounding, and it is easily the most thorough coverage of this relatively unknown aircraft out there. My thanks to RAF in Combat for the review copy.