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.
N.T.2B
Norwegian N.T.2B with semi-enclosed cockpit at Oslo.
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 pusherbiplane, 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 historyedit
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]
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.[15][16][17] 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]
^"Civil Aircraft Register - Norway 20 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine". Golden Years of Aviation 21 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
^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.
^"BRITISH AIRCRAFT OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR". Imperial War Museums. IWM. 1919. Retrieved 15 December 2015. One of the two N.T.2B's sent to Peru in 1919 by Handley Page Ltd.
London, Peter. "Island Pioneers; Aircraft Production Origins on the Isle of Wight". Air Enthusiast, No. 56, Winter 1994. pp. 71–77. ISSN 0143-5450.
London, Peter. "Bognor's Boats: The Aircraft of Norman Thompson". Air Enthusiast, No. 66, November–December 1996. pp. 70–75. ISSN 0143-5450.
External linksedit
"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.
External linksedit
Norman Thompson N.T.2. Image Bank – Canada Aviation Museum.
January 01, 1970
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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 N T 2B Norwegian N T 2B with semi enclosed cockpit at Oslo Role Flying boat trainer Manufacturer Norman Thompson Flight Company Designer Francis Percy Beadle First flight 1917 Introduction 1917 Primary user Royal Naval Air Service Developed from White and Thompson No 3 Contents 1 Development and design 2 Operational history 3 Operators 4 Specifications N T 2B Arab engine 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 7 1 Sources 8 External links 9 External linksDevelopment and design editIn 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 editThe 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 edit nbsp Canada Royal Canadian Air Force nbsp Estonia Estonian Air Force 2 aircraft 12 nbsp Japan Imperial Japanese Navy 13 nbsp Norway Royal Norwegian Air Force nbsp Peru Peruvian Air Force 2 Handley Page Ltd aircraft sent in 1919 14 nbsp United Kingdom Royal Naval Air Service Royal Air ForceSpecifications N T 2B Arab engine edit nbsp Rear left quarter view Data from British Aeroplanes 1914 18 9 General characteristicsCrew 2 Length 27 ft 4 5 in 8 344 m Wingspan 48 ft 4 75 in 14 7511 m Height 10 ft 8 in 3 25 m Wing area 453 sq ft 42 1 m2 Empty weight 2 321 lb 1 053 kg Gross weight 3 169 lb 1 437 kg Powerplant 1 Sunbeam Arab V 8 water cooled piston engine 200 hp 150 kW Propellers 4 bladed fixed pitch pusher propeller Performance Maximum speed 85 mph 137 km h 74 kn at 2 000 ft 610 m Service ceiling 11 400 ft 3 500 m Time to altitude 10 000 ft 3 048 m 33 minutes 40 seconds Wing loading 7 lb sq ft 34 kg m2 Power mass 0 063 hp lb 0 104 kW kg See also editRelated development White and Thompson No 3 Aircraft of comparable role configuration and era Curtiss Model F FBA Type A Related lists List of flying boats and floatplanes List of aircraft of the Royal Naval Air ServiceNotes edita 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 15 16 17 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 References edit London 1996 pp 73 74 Bruce 1957 pp 655 656 a b c d e London 1996 p 74 Andrews and Morgan 1987 p 354 London 1994 p 74 Donald 1997 p 695 Goodall 1995 pp 60 61 London 2003 p 33 a b c d Bruce 1957 p 657 Civil Aircraft Register Norway Archived 20 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine Golden Years of Aviation Archived 21 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 7 February 2009 Jackson 1988 p 344 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 ＡＲＡＷＡＳＩ ＴＥＮＺＡＮ 1 72 レジン製フルキット Ｎｏｒｍａｎ Ｔｈｏｍｐｓｏｎ ＮＴ２Ｂ イエローサブマリン 秋葉原本店 MINT スケールフロアコーナー Retrieved 13 January 2017 BRITISH AIRCRAFT OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR Imperial War Museums IWM 1919 Retrieved 15 December 2015 One of the two N T 2B s sent to Peru in 1919 by Handley Page Ltd Flight 29 May 1919 p 716 Flight 10 July 1919 p 926 Flight 7 August 1919 p 1068 Sources edit nbsp Air force section at the Imperial War Museum Crystal Palace N T 2B in the foreground 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 Gerdessen Frederik Estonian Air Power 1918 1945 Air Enthusiast No 18 April July 1982 pp 61 76 ISSN 0143 5450 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 pp 71 77 ISSN 0143 5450 London Peter Bognor s Boats The Aircraft of Norman Thompson Air Enthusiast No 66 November December 1996 pp 70 75 ISSN 0143 5450 External links edit 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 External links editNorman Thompson N T 2 Image Bank Canada Aviation Museum Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Norman Thompson N T 2B amp oldid 1129114857, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
