DT-2B

The DT‑2B was a light utility aircraft produced by the Norwegian company Marinens Flyvebaatfabrikk during the early 1930s. Designed as a derivative of the earlier DT‑2 trainer, the B version incorporated a more powerful 150 hp Hispano‑Suiza 8A engine, a strengthened wooden wing structure, and a revised cockpit canopy that gave the pilot better visibility during maritime operations. First flown on 12 July 1932, the DT‑2B entered service with the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service, where it performed liaison, observation and limited anti‑submarine patrol duties along the rugged Norwegian coastline. Only twelve examples were built before the program was halted in 1935, when the factory shifted its focus to larger seaplanes such as the M.F.10. Despite the modest production run, the DT‑2B proved significant because it demonstrated the feasibility of locally manufactured, single‑engine monoplanes capable of operating from both land strips and water‑prepared runways. Its mixed‑construction airframe and adaptable under‑carriage influenced later Norwegian designs and contributed to the development of a self‑sufficient aviation industry that could support the country’s defensive needs during the pre‑World War II era. The aircraft is now preserved in the Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection, where it remains a tangible reminder of Norway’s early aviation ingenuity.