Britten Norman Islander Turns Fifty

[Stationair8]

The good old BN-2 celebrated its fifty anniversary of its first flight in June.
Aeroplane Monthly has a great write up on the beast.
Must be a few photos and stories out in pprune land to help celebrate this milestone.

[Acrosport II]

Aye!!!!, What?!!!!, I cant hear you, speak up!!!!


They had a couple of 300HP (or 260HP) Noise Converters.
They somehow magically converted noise to thrust.
And guess where the Pilot sat?

And don't get me started on the BN3 Tri Islander!

[chimbu warrior]

Yes it is a bit noisy, and in recent years SB190 has made them expensive to maintain, but nothing else comes close to doing the job that an Islander can.

The fact that they are still around (and still in demand) after 50 years says something.

[Aye Ess]

My second twin endorsement was the Islander..... oh, boy, I was like a dog with two tails. What a fun performer. Many years later, I got a job with a company flying Trislanders..... Well, thought I, half as big again, must be half more betterer..... NOPE, NUH....I'm with Acrosport... don't get me started on BN3. I believe even Tailwheel hated those monsters from hell.

[tail wheel]

And don't get me started on the BN3 Tri Islander!

It is a Britten Norman BN2A Mk III Trislander. Thank God there is no BN3.

Wonderful aircraft Aye Ess! Here is a really, really good Trislander. Wish they were all this good.

[fencehopper]

Did a heap of jumps out of Islanders at Wilton back in the eighties and did a far bit of work on them at Camden. ISI went in after the pilot turned back on take off after losing the left engine and another went off the end of the strip when the park brake was left on. Pretty good jump ship fun to fly and better than the Nomad to work on.

[Pinky the pilot]

Have all of three hours ICUS in a Trislander! And I have Luk V to thank for that.

To be perfectly honest, I wish that I had been able to finish the endorsement on them and gone on to flown them more. But then again I have been accused, on more than one occasion, of being a 'sick man.'

Lik Lik Rik was the last accuser. What you up to these days Mate?

Taily; That Tri appears to be in Talair colours but it aint PNG reggo. Did DB operate them in the Solomons when he had an operation there?

Wound up with around 800 hours in Islanders. And Mrs Pinky accuses me of having selective hearing!!

[Acrosport II]

BN2A MkIII Tri Islander


I flew the long nose version.


We just couldn't take them seriously.


Naturally by the time we got them, the prop Syncs had been removed.
It took us all of the cruise (25-30 min sector) to sync them, then as soon as you reduced the throttles for descent,..... Whaaooo Whaaooo Whaaooo Whaaooo Whaaooo, well you get the idea.


Happy Days.

[Pinky the pilot]

It took us all of the cruise (25-30 min sector) to sync them,

Something wrong then there Mate, as even with old beat up P2-DNN, which was actually the prototype Trislander, Luk V demonstrated to me how to synch all three donks in about 20 seconds!

And after about the third attempt I found it just as easy as he demonstrated.

[Acrosport II]

None of us had any experience on them when they arrived.


It was the blind leading the blind.

[Flying Mechanic]

Bongo van

Go the bongo van! Enjoyed my time in the Torres Straits plying the skies in the BN2. I am sure it will make the its 75 birthday! Just like the B52, bullet proof.

[tail wheel]

Taily; That Tri appears to be in Talair colours but it aint PNG reggo. Did DB operate them in the Solomons when he had an operation there?

That excellent Britten Norman BN2A Mk III Trislander was owned and operated by Air Melanesiae in Vanuatu well before Talair became involved.

[the_flying_cop]

I think that in the 4000 hours I sat in one, the props were only balanced for about 3 of them. At least ours was a turbine one. I had a ride in a piston version once and goodness me, I have now words to describe that racket even with a bone dome and ANR.

[TwoFiftyBelowTen]

Tailwheel....
Aye Ess is using the ICAO designation for the Tri...BN3....distinguishing it from the twin

[Aye Ess]

[IMG][/IMG]

This is a painting I did of the Trislander. My therapist said it would help me get over my hatred of them..... It didn't.

[Aye Ess]

Yes, it can be called a Britten Norman BN2A Mk III Trislander, or a BN3 or the Tri..... but it also goes by the name 'The Sled'.... anyway you say it, it is still awful.

[illusion]

I think this article sums up our feelings quite nicely

https://www.facebook.com/paravionft/...13631895413897

[Acrosport II]

Quote:
This is a painting I did of the Trislander. My therapist said it would help me get over my hatred of them..... It didn't.


Ha Ha.
Nice painting of the long nose version.
Have to say they were an interesting looking Aircraft. Especially the longer nosed version.


I cant seem to get the Quote wraparound to work.


I think that fixed your image. For some reason Photobucket automatically adds a URL to the IMG address?

Tail Wheel

[Acrosport II]

Quote:
I think this article sums up our feelings quite nicely

https://www.facebook.com/paravionft/...13631895413897




I haven't seen that before. Quite true though.


And now I have conformation of the 'Noise Converters' theory.

[Fris B. Fairing]

Here's another long forgotten Trislander operator: