08/31/2014. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "On October 4, 1915, the White and Thompson Company changed its name to the Norman Thompson Flight Company, Ltd., with F.P.H. Beadle as chief designer. The first machine to appear under the new name was the N.T.4.

A development of the twin-engined Round Britain Race entrant of 1914, the N.T.4 was ordered for RNAS use, becoming known as the 'America' flying boat, and later, with the introduction of the Curtiss H.12, as the 'Small America' although there was little resemblance between the Norman Thompson and Curtiss machines. It should be noted that at this time there was a confusing tendency to class all flying boats as 'Americas' regardless of type or manufacture.

A biplane, with twin 150 hp Hispano-Suiza pusher engines driving two-bladed propellers, the N.T.4 had two side-by-side seats in an enclosed cabin. The hulls were made by S.E. Saunders at Cowes. The first production machine of a batch of six, serial 8338, was experimentally fitted with a two-pounder Davis gun mounted horizontally above the cabin roof. This gun was subsequently removed, not having been used operationally.

Commencing with the second production batch, the N.T.4s had modified cabin windows to give better vision, and were fitted with 200 hp Hispano-Suiza engines. With these modifications the machines were designated N.T.4A, the first one, serial 9061, being stationed at Calshot. A total of over fifty machines of both versions served with the RNAS at seven coastal stations, where they were employed for patrols, and later for training duties."