The Douglas DT Bomber was the company’s first military contract, forging a link between Douglas and the U.S. Navy. Navy Contract No. 53305 of April 1, 1921, required only 18 pages to set out the specifications that resulted in the purchase of three DT (D for Douglas, T for torpedo) folding-wing aircraft.
The DT used a welded-steel fuselage with aluminum covering the forward and center sections and fabric covering the rear section. Douglas built 41 DT-1 and -2 torpedo bombers for the Navy. Other companies built 55. The DT could be fitted either with pontoons or wheeled landing gear and could carry a 1,800-pound torpedo.
Specifications
| First flight: | November 1921 |
| Wingspan: | 50 feet |
| Length: | 34 feet 2 inches |
| Height: | 13 feet 1 inch |
| Empty weight: | 3,737 pounds |
| Speed: | 101 mph |
| Power plant: | 420-horsepower Liberty engine |
| Accommodation: | 2 |