Vultee entered aircraft manufacturing in mid-1930s, having
formed in 1932 the Airplane Development Corporation,
which two years later was acquired by the Aviation Manufacturing
Corporation. A Vultee Aircraft Division of the latter
company was formed in 1936, becoming Vultee Aircraft
Inc. when it acquired the parent corporation's assets in
1939. First product was the V-1 eight-passenger monoplane,
but became better known for its military aircraft, of
which most notable were the V-11 two/three-seat attack
monoplane, built for Brazil, China, and Turkey, and a license
sold to the USSR; the improved V-12 for China; more than
11,000 BT-13/BT-15 and SNV Valiant two-seat basic trainers for the USAAF and USN between 1940 and 1944; V-
48 Vanguard single-seat fighters for China and USAAF:
and V-72 Vengeance dive-bombers for the RAF, USAAF
and Brazil between 1941 -1942. Vultee purchased the Stinson
Aircraft Division of the Aviation Manufacturing
Corporation in 1940, producing Stinson Model 74s for the
USAAF as L-1 Vigilant during Second World War. In December
1941 Vultee bought a 34 percent controlling interest
in another subsidiary of The Aviation Corporation, Consolidated
Aircraft Inc, with which it merged in 1943
to form the Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation.
