Norman Thompson N.T.2B

N.T.2B
Role	Flying boat trainer
Manufacturer	Norman Thompson Flight Company
First flight	1917
Introduction	1917
Primary user	Royal Naval Air Service

The Norman Thompson N.T.2B was a British single-engined Flying boat trainer of the First World War. A single-engined biplane, the N.T.2B was adopted as a standard flying boat trainer by the Royal Naval Air Service, training pilots for larger patrol flying boats such as the Felixstowe F.2.

Development and design

In late 1916, the Norman Thompson Flight Company, who had previously built 20 FBA Type B flying boat trainers, proposed to design and build a new trainer for pilots needed for large patrol flying boats such as the Curtiss Americas, Felixstowe F.2 and Norman Thompson's own N.T.4. The British Admiralty accepted the Norman Thompson proposal, and placed an order for 10 aircraft in November 1916 for the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS).^[1]

The resulting aircraft, designated N.T.2B, was a single-engined pusher biplane, with unequal span two-bay wings and powered by a 160 hp (119 kW) Beardmore 160 hp engine mounted between the wings driving a four-bladed propeller. The trainee pilot and instructor sat side by side in an enclosed cockpit, fitted with dual controls.^[2]

While initial production was powered by the Beardmore, or by 150 hp (112 kW) Hispano-Suiza engines, later aircraft were fitted with a 200 hp (149 kW) Sunbeam Arab, which was mounted slightly to starboard of the centreline of the aircraft to overcome the greater torque of the more powerful engine. The Arab, however, proved unreliable, and the powerplant was changed again, to the 200 hp (149 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8 engine, which was mounted at an angle to overcome a similar torque problem as was observed with the Arab.^[3]

The RNAS's (and after 1 April 1918, the Royal Air Force's) needs for the N.T.2B were beyond the capacity of Norman Thompson, so orders were placed with Supermarine and S.E.Saunders,^[4][5] as well as with the parent company.^[a] At least 294 had been ordered by the end of the First World War, which brought about large scale cancellations.^[3][b]

Operational history

The first N.T.2B was delivered to the RNAS flying school at Calshot on 8 July 1917,^[3] the type becoming the standard training flying boat of the RNAS and RAF until the end of the First World War,^[6] although delivery delays caused by the engine problems caused a backlog in training flying boat pilots.^[7][8] Seventy-nine were on charge with the RAF on 31 October 1918. It operated at bases at Felixstowe and Lee-on-Solent as well as Calshot.^[9]

Following the end of the war, N.T.2Bs were sold to the air forces of Estonia, Peru and Norway.^[3] Civil N.T.2Bs were flown in Norway^[10] and Canada, where one aircraft remained in use for forestry patrols until 1929.^[11]

Operators

 Canada

• Royal Canadian Air Force

 Estonia

• Estonian Air Force^[12]

 Norway

• Royal Norwegian Air Force

 Peru

• Peruvian Air Force

 United Kingdom

• Royal Naval Air Service
• Royal Air Force

Specifications (N.T.2B - Arab engine)

Data from British Aeroplanes 1914-17^[9]

General characteristics

• Crew: Two
• Length: 27 ft 4½ in (8.35 m)
• Wingspan: 48 ft 4¾ in (14.75 m)
• Height: 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m)
• Wing area: 453 ft² (42.1 m²)
• Empty weight: 2,321 lb (1,055 kg)
• Loaded weight: 3,169 lb (1,440 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Sunbeam Arab water cooled V-8, 200 hp (149 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 74 knots (85 mph, 137 km/h) at 2,000 ft (610 m)
• Service ceiling: 11,400 ft (3,500 m)
• Wing loading: 7.00 lb/ft² (34.2 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.063 hp/lb (0.10 kW/kg)
  
• Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 33 min 40 sec

See also

Related development

• White and Thompson No. 3

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• FBA Type A
• Curtiss Model F

Related lists

• List of seaplanes and amphibious aircraft
• List of aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service

Notes

• ^a The Norman Thompson Flight Company had gone into receivership in 1918, after delays in placing orders for new aircraft. Production continued at Norman Thompson's (and orders continued to be placed) despite this.^[13][14][15] Norman Thompson Flight Company became part of Handley Page in 1919.^[9]
• ^b Estimates of the number of aircraft produced vary, with London giving production of 107-121^[3] and Bruce estimating at least 150 built.^[9]

Footnotes

1. London 1996, pp.73-74.
2. Bruce 1957, pp.655-656.
3. London 1996, p.74.
4. Andrews and Morgan 1987, p.354.
5. London 1994, p.74.
6. Donald 1997, p.695.
7. Goodall 1995, pp.60–61.
8. London 2003, p. 33.
9. Bruce 1957, p.657.
10. "Civil Aircraft Register - Norway". Golden Years of Aviation. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
11. Jackson 1988, p.344.
12. Johnson, Robert Craig. "The White Falcons: the White Air Forces 1918-1920". Chandelle: A Journal of Aviation History, Volume 2 Number 2, October 1997. Worldatwar.net. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
13. Flight 29 May 1919, p.716.
14. Flight 10 July 1919, p.926.
15. Flight 7 August 1919, p.1068.

References

• "Questions in Parliament". Flight, 29 May 1919, p. 716.
• "Aviation in Parliament". Flight, 10 July 1919, pp. 925–926.
• "Aviation in Parliament". Flight, 7 August 1919, pp. 1068–1069.
• Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914. London:Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-800-3.
• Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. London:Putnam, 1957.
• Donald, David (editor). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Leicester, UK: Blitz Editions, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
• Goodall, Michael H. The Norman Thompson File. Tunbridge Wells, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1995. ISBN 0-85130-233-5.
• Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume III. London:Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-818-6.
• London, Peter. British Flying Boats. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7509-2695-3.
• London, Peter. "Island Pioneers; Aircraft Production Origins on the Isle of Wight". Air Enthusiast, No.56, Winter 1994. Stamford, UK:Key Publishing. ISSN 0143-5450. pp. 71–77.
• London, Peter. "Bognor's Boats: The Aircraft of Norman Thompson". Air Enthusiast, No. 66, November–December 1996. Stamford, UK:Key Publishing. ISSN 0143-5450. pp. 70–75.

External links

• Norman Thompson N.T.2. Image Bank – Canada Aviation Museum.