single engined american 1940s developed export model based earlier design total purchased norway delivered fall norway second world war exiled norwegian forces operating iceland convoy escort anti submarine patrols training purposes little norway canada years delivery design effectively obsolete combat role remaining replaced larger aircraft design development following increased international tension surrounding german annexation norwegian parliament granted extraordinary funds nok share funds designated buy torpedo bombers reconnaissance aircraft new naval air stations considered proposals retrieved commission quickly decided best aircraft satisfy air services needs requirements reconnaissance aircraft range speed torpedo equivalent bombs december norway sent purchasing commission united_states consisting contingent headed contingent led goal commission inspect serve new common reconnaissance bomber air services requirements commission hoped fill replacing patrol aircraft commission found able deliver reasonable time aircraft found quickly found douglas satisfy requirements fitted continued look aircraft suitable visits aviation companies february determined manufacturer design available production capacity commission ordered based model renamed drawing board literally aircraft ordered prior type having flown march total cost nok meet requirement half paid shortly german invasion norway april model export model attack bomber series intended serve basis redesigned meet requirements norwegian order new product reformed low winged fitted twin intended lower powered engine ultimately powered wright cyclone radial engine type specified bombers ordered norway time eventual maintenance operation requirements entire norwegian military aircraft fleets norwegian operation requirements drawn coastal reconnaissance series modifications requested original design changes included redesign float structure accommodate torpedo bomb load carried center fuselage supplement bomb racks additional armament changes led combination machine guns replacing machine gun fixed forward flexible rear mounted cannon forward facing fixed arrangement initial design provision rear fuselage gun equipment requirements including fitting rear fuselage mounted camera changes instrumentation radio equipment complete aircraft norway invaded germany invasion occupation norway necessitated armament originally installed norway changed initial specifications listed cannon wing machine guns fuselage rear gunner stations owing lack availability originally specified armament norwegian manufactured heavy machine guns substituted machine guns wings mounted dorsal ventral positions gunner rear cockpit operational history delivery chief test pilot flew december california flight test customer acceptance trials successfully completed production aircraft use powerful cyclone engine performance estimates exceeded flight characteristics including considered excellent aircraft delivered exiled end march training late february production flown station canada canadian winter bases norwegian training bases known little norway service advanced trainer canada little norway summer base island harbour toronto winter bases western coast canada relatively brief ended determined pilot air crew graduates integrated raf squadrons arrangements later advanced flight training norwegian pilots carried raf schools types better fit transition combat flying consequently surviving stored shipped iceland march steamer delta combat use remaining equip norwegian squadron raf iceland sent iceland shipped atlantic board norwegian steamer voyage new_york taking days complete reason deploying iceland avoid having unusual aircraft operating united_kingdom involved risk friendly fire incidents squadron declared operational april erected seaplane hangar aircraft flying june squadron flew convoy escort patrols june flights based squadron carried attacks german boats including surrendered british boats sunk number occasions clashed long range reconnaissance bombers flying boats credited damaged october involved friendly fire incident attacking british lockheed hudson incident ended aircraft involved hit effort operations circulated report norwegian flown aircraft involved attack german battleship merely example wartime propaganda despite aviation historians claim appears current accounts sinking formed april received days attack didn fly june official operational flight wasn june squadron began flying boats began displaced february arrival capable flying boats allowed longer patrols carried superior qualities surviving continued operate alongside flying fighter patrol escort operations iceland east coast early transition types squadron flight maintained unit involved secondary roles including army cooperation transport air sea rescue ice reconnaissance ambulance roles early crews relocated scotland aboard troop ship remaining flew aircraft left iceland scrapped december april combat service june march carried operational sorties totalling hours flying time attacks carried boats proved inconclusive escort patrols sweeps important allied effort keeping north_atlantic sea lanes open end type combat service iceland norwegian naval authorities considered basing arctic archipelago previously known german naval raid september resulted deployment cancelled accidents incidents flight training little norway accidents resulting death students instructors lost canada fatal crashes british_columbia harbour toronto frozen beach flying boat station near vancouver aircraft involved ferry boat accident island harbour june taking collided ferry killing student pilot instructor newspaper wrote matter time norwegian aircraft crashes city fear impractical flight training place current civil aviation operations precipitated new camp ontario new location elementary advanced level training place advanced flight training continued toronto island airport squadron notable accidents fatalities including operational loss navigational training flight disappeared north_atlantic july attrition accidents gradually reduced squadron operational fleet damaged repair september depth charges accidentally released detonated aircraft moored total lost casualties including squadron commander crew failed return sweep august despite intensive search trace aircraft crew found survivors war surviving aircraft flown norway sold salvage scrapped scrapped search records vice president crash site wreck recovered iceland bad weather iceland east coast flown operating forced landing april stuck gradually sunk river navy divers began initial recovery later aided team volunteer divers great_britain iceland norway united_states bringing remains sent california restoration completed strong volunteer group including retired employees involved original production line complex restoration required construction replacement parts primarily damaged original aircraft components order create complete airframe surviving aircraft currently exhibition norway military operators squadron raf little norway training unit specifications data second world war volume characteristics crew pilot navigator wireless operator rear gunner length wingspan height wing area weight loaded weight max takeoff weight powerplant wright cylinder air cooled radial engine performance maximum speed knots mph sea level cruise speed knots mph range service ceiling climb min armament guns fixed forward firing machine guns machine guns dorsal ventral positions bombs torpedo equivalent weight bombs depth charges
Northrop N-3PB