Douglas DT

The Douglas DT was a torpedo bomber that gave the Douglas Aircraft Company its first military contract, forging a link between the company and the United States Navy. Navy Contract No. 53305 of April 1, 1921 needed only 18 pages to set out the specifications for three DT folding-wing aircraft, the D standing for Douglas and the T for torpedo. The DT used a welded steel fuselage covered in aluminum at the front and center and fabric at the rear. The first flight was in November 1921 and production continued until 1929; Douglas built 46 DT-1 and DT-2 aircraft for the Navy, Norway and Peru, with others built under license, and the type operated from the carrier USS Langley, from land bases and from seaplane tenders, and became the basis for the Douglas World Cruiser.