BN Trislander air display prang
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BN Trislander air display prang
Anyone out there remember seeing or know where to see the photo of the Trislander that hit the runway HARD in an air display years ago? I have a feeling it was a company demonstrator.
I remember the photo in an Aeroplane Monthly mag (late 1970's) and the poor girl was in a pretty untidy state. A heavy landing had removed one wing mounted engine, the other was hanging by its plumbing, the MLG legs had gone, most cabin doors had popped off and the tail propellor had bounced down cutting into the top of the fuselage.
The photo was taken as the pilot (with pretty severe back injuries) had commenced a relatively successful go-around on the centre engine. He managed to fly the very sick looking aeroplane clear of the airfield and belly land in a paddock nearby.
I haven't seen the photo for years and I'd love a copy for the archives.
MAPt
I remember the photo in an Aeroplane Monthly mag (late 1970's) and the poor girl was in a pretty untidy state. A heavy landing had removed one wing mounted engine, the other was hanging by its plumbing, the MLG legs had gone, most cabin doors had popped off and the tail propellor had bounced down cutting into the top of the fuselage.
The photo was taken as the pilot (with pretty severe back injuries) had commenced a relatively successful go-around on the centre engine. He managed to fly the very sick looking aeroplane clear of the airfield and belly land in a paddock nearby.
I haven't seen the photo for years and I'd love a copy for the archives.
MAPt
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It happened in South Africa in the late 70's early 80's. It was a bad one and but for the pilot's skills I doubt he would be alive today. He suffered crushed vertebra and gained a high dose of arthritis from it.
However, it was an iffy occurence which offended BN no end as it was a Tri promotion tour.
I know the pilot very well. He gave me my twin rating many moons ago. Just a tad too much confidence was the cause.
However, it was an iffy occurence which offended BN no end as it was a Tri promotion tour.
I know the pilot very well. He gave me my twin rating many moons ago. Just a tad too much confidence was the cause.
There will come a time in the not too distant future, when the last Trislander will complete it's last flight.
Oh, and the World will be a better place.............
How - or why - on earth did the highly successful Bongo Van ever permutate into such a dreadful creature as the Tri bongo Van?
Signed
"Torres" the Trislander Hater!!!
P.S. Rumour has it there are still 12 new BN2A MkIII's in Australia, somewhere.
(Sorry Pops .... Not intentionally trying to upset those wonderful Poms on the Isle of White.)
Oh, and the World will be a better place.............
How - or why - on earth did the highly successful Bongo Van ever permutate into such a dreadful creature as the Tri bongo Van?
Signed
"Torres" the Trislander Hater!!!
P.S. Rumour has it there are still 12 new BN2A MkIII's in Australia, somewhere.
(Sorry Pops .... Not intentionally trying to upset those wonderful Poms on the Isle of White.)
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Didn't the aussie 12 end up on the dock in Miami? I seem to remember seeing that Aurigny had aquired some and had built a couple????? I also have a vague memory of reading recently that the line was reopening.
I was not dreaming! see http://www.britten-norman.com/products/bn2a3/index.htm
I was not dreaming! see http://www.britten-norman.com/products/bn2a3/index.htm
Oh dear! More Trilanders!
I didn't realise the Aussie Trislander airframes had been shipped overseas. Last I heard (some years ago) was talk of fitting light weight V8 engines - can't remember whether two or three.
There was a couple of Trislanders on the Aussie register, but think none are flying. The Trislander has a very restrictive wing life in Australia.
Out of curiosity - who owns Britten Norman now?
I didn't realise the Aussie Trislander airframes had been shipped overseas. Last I heard (some years ago) was talk of fitting light weight V8 engines - can't remember whether two or three.
There was a couple of Trislanders on the Aussie register, but think none are flying. The Trislander has a very restrictive wing life in Australia.
Out of curiosity - who owns Britten Norman now?
Last edited by Torres; 11th Oct 2003 at 09:34.
Some other re-arrangement of the name, no doubt. The last lot went under with massive amounts still owed to customers; they defrauded my company for several thousand for which we'd been falsely charged - we finally got about 10p in the pound from the liquidators. Who, of course, did rather better......
If I ever come across the thieving $ods...
If I ever come across the thieving $ods...
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Behind a tin shed and infested with BIG spiders lurking behind the instrument panels, are the rusted hulks of one or two Trislanders at Bonriki airport, Tarawa, Kiribati in the Central Pacific. An enthusiast could probably buy them for a few dollars - the spiders are free
A company called Air Satellite operated one here in Canada. The guy flying it use to patiently suffer all the jokes and then he'd ask the joker how much three engine time he had.
Superb aircraft to fly....
80knts and heave back, climb at 90-100knts , 1500fpm, cruise at 120knts. Heaters constantly failing, with no reset switch in the cockpit (in the nose compartment). Being asked if we were a helicopter by Brussels ATC, apart from that a wonderful aircraft.
Tom, if you're reading this, how ever did you hit the sea and get it back to Stansted? Truthfully now.
80knts and heave back, climb at 90-100knts , 1500fpm, cruise at 120knts. Heaters constantly failing, with no reset switch in the cockpit (in the nose compartment). Being asked if we were a helicopter by Brussels ATC, apart from that a wonderful aircraft.
Tom, if you're reading this, how ever did you hit the sea and get it back to Stansted? Truthfully now.
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Might have been a bit earlier than that. I was at LBA when we heard the news. Very scary I would imagine and very lucky. The CAA had quite a good interest too I heard. 
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This particular aircraft is still flying between Channel Islands and UK for lecocqs or Rockhopper as they are now branded, now registered GLCOC, the maintenance log books describe the repairs that were required(several pages!!)
The original accident to the demonstrator was caused by the pilot
forgetting that the altitude of the South African airfield was in the region of 5000ft. and the performance was subsequently degraded. He had performed this manoevre successfully several times in the UK(at or nr sea level)
The original accident to the demonstrator was caused by the pilot
forgetting that the altitude of the South African airfield was in the region of 5000ft. and the performance was subsequently degraded. He had performed this manoevre successfully several times in the UK(at or nr sea level)
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Rockhopper
Yesterday at JER, GLCOC was being manually manoeuvred by the ground staff when they sat it on it's tail, apparently one of the passengers waiting to board has a photo of the pilot hanging from it's nose wheel.
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Reeferring back up the posts, a couple of decades ago I was at Homestead Municiple Airport in FL (the one that used to house all the impounded drug aircraft) and there were a number of Trislanders (incomplete I think) stored in the hangar - one or two of them may have been UK regd... there was some scheme to operate them/flog 'em/whatever, but whether it came to nought I know not. At the time there was an outfit operating Trislanders around S Florida, saw one take off from Fort Lauderdale which got to about 50', suffered an engine failure and plonked ratherl untidly back down on the runway, though fortunately in one piece...
We landed at Homestead a couple of years ago for a pi"t"s stop and they had all gone... (Most interesting flying object on the ramp? A Burrowing Owl!)
We landed at Homestead a couple of years ago for a pi"t"s stop and they had all gone... (Most interesting flying object on the ramp? A Burrowing Owl!)
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Old one I know but worth repeating...
New design - BN2-XL
Undaunted by technical realities, the design team at Pilatus Britten - Norman has announced plans for the BN2-XL, promising more noise, reduced payload, a lower cruise speed, and increased pilot workload.
We spoke to Mr. Fred Gribble, former British Rail boilermaker, and now Chief Project Engineer. Fred was responsible for developing many original and creative design flaws in the service of his former employer, and will be incorporating these in the new BN2-XL technology under a licensing agreement. Fred reassured BN-2 pilots, however, that all fundamental design flaws of the original model had been retained. Further good news is that the XL version is available as a retrofit.
Among the new measures is that of locking the ailerons in the central position, following airborne and simulator tests which showed that whilst pilots of average strength were able to achieve up to 30 degrees of control wheel deflection, this produced no appreciable variation in the net flight of the aircraft. Thus the removal of costly and unnecessary linkages has been possible, and the rudder has been nominated as the primary directional control. In keeping with this new philosophy, but to retain commonality for crews transitioning to the XL, additional resistance to foot pressure has been built in to the rudder pedals to prevent over-controlling in gusty conditions (defined as those in which wind velocity exceeds 3 knots). An outstanding feature of Islander technology has always been the adaptation of the O-540 engine, which mounted in any other aircraft in the free world (except the Trislander) is known for its low vibration levels. The Islander adaptations cause it to shake and batter the airframe, gradually crystallise the main spar, desynchronise the accompanying engine, and simulate the sound of fifty skeletons fornicating in an aluminium dustbin.
PBN will not disclose the technology they applied in preserving this effect in the XL but Mr. Gribble assures us it will be perpetrated in later models and sees it as a strong selling point. "After all, the Concorde makes a lot of noise" he said, "and look how fast that goes." However design documents clandestinely recovered from the PBN shredder have solved a question that has puzzled aerodynamicists and pilots for many years, disclosing that it is actually noise which causes the BN2 to fly. The vibration set up by the engines, and amplified by the airframe, in turn causes the air molecules above the wing to oscillate at atomic frequency, reducing their density and creating lift. This can be demonstrated by sudden closure of the throttles, which causes the aircraft to fall from the sky. As a result, lift is proportional to noise, rather than speed, explaining amongst other things the aircraft's remarkable takeoff performance. In the driver's cab (as Gribble describes it) ergonomic measures will ensure that long-term PBN pilots' deafness does not cause in-flight dozing. Orthopaedic surgeons have designed a cockpit layout and seat to maximise backache, en-route insomnia, chronic irritability and terminal (post-flight) lethargy.
Redesigned "bullworker" elastic aileron cables, now disconnected from the control surfaces, increase pilot workload and fitness. Special noise retention cabin lining is an innovation on the XL, and it is hoped in later models to develop cabin noise to a level which will enable pilots to relate ear-pain directly to engine power, eliminating the need for engine instruments altogether.
We were offered an opportunity to fly the XL at Britten-Norman's development facility, adjacent to the BritRail tearooms at Little Chortling. (The flight was originally to have been conducted at the Pilatus plant but aircraft of BN design are now prohibited from operating in Swiss airspace during avalanche season). For our mission profile, the XL was loaded with coal for a standard 100 nm trip with BritRail reserves, carrying one pilot and nine passengers to maximise discomfort. Passenger loading is unchanged, the normal under-wing protrusions inflicting serious lacerations on 71% of boarding passengers, and there was the usual confusion in selecting a door appropriate to the allocated seat. The facility for the clothing of embarking passengers to remove oil slicks from engine cowls during loading has been thoughtfully retained.
Start-up is standard, and taxiing, as in the BN2 is accomplished by brute force. Takeoff calculations called for a 250-decibel power setting, and the rotation force for the (neutral) C of G was calculated at 180 ft/lbs of backpressure. Initial warning of an engine failure during takeoff is provided by a reduction in vibration of the flight instrument panel. Complete seizure of one engine is indicated by the momentary illusion that the engines have suddenly and inexplicably become synchronised. Otherwise, identification of the failed engine is achieved by comparing the vibration levels of the windows on either side of the cabin. (Relative passenger pallor has been found to be an unreliable guide on many BN2 routes because of ethnic consideration).
Shortly after takeoff the XL's chief test pilot, Capt. Mike "Muscles" Mulligan demonstrated the extent to whch modern aeronautical design has left the BN2 untouched; he simulated pilot incapacitation by slumping forward onto the control column, simultaneously applying full right rudder and bleeding from the ears. The XL, like its predecessor, demonstrated total control rigidity and continued undisturbed. Power was then reduced to 249 decibels for cruise, and we carried out some comparisons of actual flight performance with graph predictions. At 5000 ft and ISA, we achieved a vibration amplitude of 500 CPS and 240 decibels, for a fuel flow of 210 lb/hr, making the BN2-XL the most efficient converter of fuel to noise after the Titan rocket. Exploring the Constant noise/Variable noise concepts, we found that in a VNE dive, vibration reached its design maximum at 1000 CPS, at which point the limiting factor is the emulsification of human tissue. The catatonic condition of long-term BN2 pilots is attributed to this syndrome, which commences in the cerebral cortex and spreads outwards. We asked Capt. Mulligan what he considered the outstanding features of the XL. He cupped his hand behind his ear and shouted "WHAT?" We returned to Britten-Norman convinced that the XL model retains the marque's most memorable features, whilst showing some significant and worthwhile regressions. PBN are not, however, resting on their laurels. Plans are already advanced for the Trislander XL and noise tunnel testing has commenced. The basis of preliminary design and performance specifications is that lift increases as the square of the noise, and as the principle of acoustic lift is further developed, a later five-engined vertical take-off model is also a possibility."
Undaunted by technical realities, the design team at Pilatus Britten - Norman has announced plans for the BN2-XL, promising more noise, reduced payload, a lower cruise speed, and increased pilot workload.
We spoke to Mr. Fred Gribble, former British Rail boilermaker, and now Chief Project Engineer. Fred was responsible for developing many original and creative design flaws in the service of his former employer, and will be incorporating these in the new BN2-XL technology under a licensing agreement. Fred reassured BN-2 pilots, however, that all fundamental design flaws of the original model had been retained. Further good news is that the XL version is available as a retrofit.
Among the new measures is that of locking the ailerons in the central position, following airborne and simulator tests which showed that whilst pilots of average strength were able to achieve up to 30 degrees of control wheel deflection, this produced no appreciable variation in the net flight of the aircraft. Thus the removal of costly and unnecessary linkages has been possible, and the rudder has been nominated as the primary directional control. In keeping with this new philosophy, but to retain commonality for crews transitioning to the XL, additional resistance to foot pressure has been built in to the rudder pedals to prevent over-controlling in gusty conditions (defined as those in which wind velocity exceeds 3 knots). An outstanding feature of Islander technology has always been the adaptation of the O-540 engine, which mounted in any other aircraft in the free world (except the Trislander) is known for its low vibration levels. The Islander adaptations cause it to shake and batter the airframe, gradually crystallise the main spar, desynchronise the accompanying engine, and simulate the sound of fifty skeletons fornicating in an aluminium dustbin.
PBN will not disclose the technology they applied in preserving this effect in the XL but Mr. Gribble assures us it will be perpetrated in later models and sees it as a strong selling point. "After all, the Concorde makes a lot of noise" he said, "and look how fast that goes." However design documents clandestinely recovered from the PBN shredder have solved a question that has puzzled aerodynamicists and pilots for many years, disclosing that it is actually noise which causes the BN2 to fly. The vibration set up by the engines, and amplified by the airframe, in turn causes the air molecules above the wing to oscillate at atomic frequency, reducing their density and creating lift. This can be demonstrated by sudden closure of the throttles, which causes the aircraft to fall from the sky. As a result, lift is proportional to noise, rather than speed, explaining amongst other things the aircraft's remarkable takeoff performance. In the driver's cab (as Gribble describes it) ergonomic measures will ensure that long-term PBN pilots' deafness does not cause in-flight dozing. Orthopaedic surgeons have designed a cockpit layout and seat to maximise backache, en-route insomnia, chronic irritability and terminal (post-flight) lethargy.
Redesigned "bullworker" elastic aileron cables, now disconnected from the control surfaces, increase pilot workload and fitness. Special noise retention cabin lining is an innovation on the XL, and it is hoped in later models to develop cabin noise to a level which will enable pilots to relate ear-pain directly to engine power, eliminating the need for engine instruments altogether.
We were offered an opportunity to fly the XL at Britten-Norman's development facility, adjacent to the BritRail tearooms at Little Chortling. (The flight was originally to have been conducted at the Pilatus plant but aircraft of BN design are now prohibited from operating in Swiss airspace during avalanche season). For our mission profile, the XL was loaded with coal for a standard 100 nm trip with BritRail reserves, carrying one pilot and nine passengers to maximise discomfort. Passenger loading is unchanged, the normal under-wing protrusions inflicting serious lacerations on 71% of boarding passengers, and there was the usual confusion in selecting a door appropriate to the allocated seat. The facility for the clothing of embarking passengers to remove oil slicks from engine cowls during loading has been thoughtfully retained.
Start-up is standard, and taxiing, as in the BN2 is accomplished by brute force. Takeoff calculations called for a 250-decibel power setting, and the rotation force for the (neutral) C of G was calculated at 180 ft/lbs of backpressure. Initial warning of an engine failure during takeoff is provided by a reduction in vibration of the flight instrument panel. Complete seizure of one engine is indicated by the momentary illusion that the engines have suddenly and inexplicably become synchronised. Otherwise, identification of the failed engine is achieved by comparing the vibration levels of the windows on either side of the cabin. (Relative passenger pallor has been found to be an unreliable guide on many BN2 routes because of ethnic consideration).
Shortly after takeoff the XL's chief test pilot, Capt. Mike "Muscles" Mulligan demonstrated the extent to whch modern aeronautical design has left the BN2 untouched; he simulated pilot incapacitation by slumping forward onto the control column, simultaneously applying full right rudder and bleeding from the ears. The XL, like its predecessor, demonstrated total control rigidity and continued undisturbed. Power was then reduced to 249 decibels for cruise, and we carried out some comparisons of actual flight performance with graph predictions. At 5000 ft and ISA, we achieved a vibration amplitude of 500 CPS and 240 decibels, for a fuel flow of 210 lb/hr, making the BN2-XL the most efficient converter of fuel to noise after the Titan rocket. Exploring the Constant noise/Variable noise concepts, we found that in a VNE dive, vibration reached its design maximum at 1000 CPS, at which point the limiting factor is the emulsification of human tissue. The catatonic condition of long-term BN2 pilots is attributed to this syndrome, which commences in the cerebral cortex and spreads outwards. We asked Capt. Mulligan what he considered the outstanding features of the XL. He cupped his hand behind his ear and shouted "WHAT?" We returned to Britten-Norman convinced that the XL model retains the marque's most memorable features, whilst showing some significant and worthwhile regressions. PBN are not, however, resting on their laurels. Plans are already advanced for the Trislander XL and noise tunnel testing has commenced. The basis of preliminary design and performance specifications is that lift increases as the square of the noise, and as the principle of acoustic lift is further developed, a later five-engined vertical take-off model is also a possibility."