G.Duval British Flying-Boats and Amphibians 1909-1952 (Putnam)

Norman Thompson N.T.2B (1916)

  A development of the White and Thompson No. 3 Boat of 1914, the N.T.2B was powered initially by the 160 h.p. Beardmore pusher engine. The crew of two were enclosed in a cabin fitted with side-by-side seating and dual control, and in common with other machines produced by this company, the after part of the hull was extremely narrow with a long dorsal tail fin, while the wing-tip floats were attached directly to the undersurface of the lower wing. Accepted by the Admiralty, the N.T.2B was ordered into production, some of the first batch of fifty machines being fitted with the 150 h.p. Hispano- Suiza engine, examples of this being N2555 and N2561. The machine proved to be a great success, and the production requirements soon outstripped the capability of the Norman Thompson works alone, so construction contracts were opened with S. E. Saunders at Cowes, and with Supermarine at Woolston, Southampton. Late in 1917, it was decided to fit the 200 h.p. Sunbeam Arab engine, which, owing to its greater torque, had to be mounted slightly starboard of centre. An example of the Arab-powered N.T.2B was machine N2294. This engine, however, fell short of requirements, and the ultimate production version was fitted with the 200 h.p. Hispano-Suiza, the torque problem in this case being dealt with by slewing the engine mounting. The first 200 h.p. machine was N2569.
  Altogether, more than one hundred and fifty machines were built, remaining the standard training type for flying-boat pilots until the Armistice, supplemented by smaller numbers of other machines. They served with the R.N.A.S. at Calshot, Lee-on-Solent, and Felixstowe.
  No further development took place, owing to the fact that Norman Thompson was absorbed by Handley Page, Ltd. The latter company sent two machines to Peru in 1919, for air transport work. These were N2284 and N2293. One N.T.2B was on the civilian register as G-EAQO.


SPECIFICATION

   Power Plant:
   Prototype/early production - 160 h.p. Beardmore
   Some early production - 150 h.p. Hispano-Suiza
   Trial installation, 1917 - 200 h.p. Sunbeam Arab
   Late production - 200 h.p. Hispano-Suiza
   Span: 48 feet 4 3/4 inches
   Length: 27 feet 4 1/2 inches
   Weight Loaded: Sunbeam Arab - 3,169 pounds
   Total Area: 453 square feet
   Max. Speed: Sunbeam Arab - 85 m.p.h.
   Endurance: Not available
   Armament: Nil

O.Thetford British Naval Aircraft since 1912 (Putnam)

NORMAN THOMPSON N.T.2B

  Two-seat dual-control training flying-boat used by the RNAS in 1917-18. It entered service at Calshot, Felixstowe and Lee-on-Solent, and 79 were still on charge at the time of the Armistice. It was built under licence by S E Saunders Ltd of Cowes and the Supermarine Aviation Works as well as by the parent company. The example illustrated (N2569) is one of the later production versions built by Norman Thompson and is fitted with a 200 hp Hispano-Suiza engine. Earlier versions had the 160 hp Beardmore or the 200 hp Sunbeam Arab engines. Total production was 134, serialled N 1180-1189, N2260-2294, N24002429, N2500-2516, N2555-2579 and N2760-2778. Maximum speed with the Arab engine was 85 mph at 2.000 ft and the service ceiling 11,400 ft. Loaded weight, 3.169 lb. Span, 48 ft 4 3/4 in. Length, 27 ft 4 1/2 in.

L.Andersson Soviet Aircraft and Aviation 1917-1941 (Putnam)

Norman-Thompson NT.2b Flying-boat

  The three-seat Norman-Thompson NT.2b Flying-boat was a biplane with pusher engine. Its most distinctive feature was the unusually big triangular fin with high-set tailplane. It had an enclosed cabin and could be fitted with skis for winter operation from ice or snow. Other than a few examples obtained by Estonia and Peru, and one acquired by the RKKVF, no Norman-Thompson Flying-boats were sold to foreign military users. The one imported to the Soviet Union (3312, probably ex-N3312, later identified as c/n? 1622) arrived in May 1922 and after evaluation it was assigned to the 1st Razvedivatel'nyi gidrootryad at Oranienbaum. It was then transferred to Sevastopol and used for liaison duties. It was written off in 1925.

  220hp Wolseley Viper
  Span 14.76m; length 8.35m
  Loaded weight 1,710kg
  Maximum speed 140km/h; ceiling 3,500m

A.Jackson British Civil Aircraft since 1919 vol.3 (Putnam)

Norman Thompson N.T.2B

  Two seat wooden flying-boat powered by one 160 h.p. Beardmore pusher. Admiralty trainer N2290, built 1918 by the Norman Thompson Flight Co. Ltd., registered to Handley Page Ltd. 9.1.20 as G-EAQO, was shipped to Canada as G-CACG for forestry patrols from Lake St. John, Quebec. Believed scrapped at Hamilton 1929.
  Span, 48 ft. 4 3/4 in. Length, 27 ft. 4 1/2 in. Tare wt., 2,320 lb. A.U.W., 3,170 lb. Max. speed, 85 m.p.h.