08/31/2014. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "A development of the White and Thompson No. 3 Boat of 1914, the N.T.2B was powered initially by the 160 hp 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 hp Hispano-Suiza engine, examples of this being N2555 and N2560.

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 hp Sunbeam Arab engine, which, owing to its greater torque, had to be mounted slightly starboard of center. Examples of the Arab-powered N.T.2B were machine N2294 and the above pictured N2400. This engine, however, fell short of requirements, and the ultimate production version was fitted with the 200 hp Hispano-Suiza, the torque problem in this case being dealt with by slewing the engine mounting. The first 200 hp machine was N2569.

Altogether, more than 150 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 RNAS 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."