Douglas DT-2

Douglas · United States · first flew 1923 · bomber

The Douglas DT-2 was a single-engine biplane torpedo bomber developed for the US Navy in the early 1920s, and the first aircraft produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company to enter large-scale service. It could be fitted with either wheeled or twin-float undercarriage.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Large torpedo crutch under the fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Single-engine biplane torpedo bomber on twin floats
Liberty 12 water-cooled V-12 engine
Large torpedo crutch under the fuselage

A large single-engine biplane on twin floats with a prominent torpedo rack beneath the fuselage and the distinctive long nose of the Liberty engine installation.

Specifications

The Douglas DT-2 has a length of 11.18 m (37 ft).
It has a wingspan of 15.24 m (50 ft).
Its maximum speed is 167 km/h (104 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Douglas won the Navy contract for the DT-1 in 1921, and the improved DT-2 followed with a more powerful Liberty engine and detail refinements. The type was produced by Douglas and several other manufacturers under licence, including the Naval Aircraft Factory and LWF. Norway also received examples built by Marinens Flyvebaatfabrikk.

Variants

Beyond the DT-2, licensed variants were built by LWF (DT-2), Dayton-Wright (DT-3), and Naval Aircraft Factory; the Norwegian Navy's examples from Marinens Flyvebaatfabrikk were known as the DT-2B.

Where you'll see it

Served with US Navy torpedo squadrons in the mid-1920s before being superseded by more modern designs; the Norwegian examples served into the late 1920s.

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