| Terrence I. Murphy, e-mail, 11.02.2012 01:19 The Norman Thomson N.T.2B was a British single-engine 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. The N.T.2B, was a single-engine 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.
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.
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 reply |
