Britten Norman Islanders [Love em or Hate em?]
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Stationair,twas Hawker Pacific. The day I picked up the brand new,just out of the box VH-SQS at Archerfield,the sign writing had just been done & the paint was still tacky. Not many times I got to fly new aeroplanes in my career.
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Jabawocky....I was Tangalooma's pilot in 1978,so,you would have still been in primary school playing hopscotch with the Osbournes then. Tangalooma had many owners over the years. When I was there it was owned by a group of 6 businessmen from the Gold Coast & Brisbane.
Skystar....in my day we also had Partenavia VH-FAB as well as the BN2. Some time after I moved on,the resort changed hands & the new owners had the a/c put onto Arthur Morris' line,but used for the Tangalooma run. Not sure of the timeline,but,at one stage they had a beaver on floats. Now guests travel by launch,so,I guess the air taxi side is no more.
Skystar....in my day we also had Partenavia VH-FAB as well as the BN2. Some time after I moved on,the resort changed hands & the new owners had the a/c put onto Arthur Morris' line,but used for the Tangalooma run. Not sure of the timeline,but,at one stage they had a beaver on floats. Now guests travel by launch,so,I guess the air taxi side is no more.
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That may be true,I was only told that VH-AIA was the first...the rego was for Australian Islander A....subsequent a/c would have been AIB etc,could be a rumour. VH-AIA was a 260hp,and the new one VH-SQS was a 300hp with flaired wingtips & 4 fuel tanks....ah,happy times (sigh)
First In Australia
How about VH-ISA or ISD.
I was told ISD was demostrated on and off one of HM's Aircraft Carriers. But that may have been just the Salesman's talk!
It was that long ago, I doubt any of us can recall exactly...
I flew both the 260 & 300hp versions in PNG. While the 300hp had the grunt, I found the 260hp version much nicer to fly (well there's an oxymoron) and easier to operate.
I was told ISD was demostrated on and off one of HM's Aircraft Carriers. But that may have been just the Salesman's talk!
It was that long ago, I doubt any of us can recall exactly...
I flew both the 260 & 300hp versions in PNG. While the 300hp had the grunt, I found the 260hp version much nicer to fly (well there's an oxymoron) and easier to operate.
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Islander.... nambawan balus or in Oz speak... bloody good airplane!! Have many fun and occasional testing hrs in PNG bush ops and will always remember the magic number that saves ones skin.... 65 kts. 
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Looking forward to returning to Japan soon but in the meantime continuing the never ending search for a bad bottle of Red!
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initially I thought,the islander was SO much fun,the Trislander being 50% bigger would be 50% more fun....OH.HOW.WRONG.I.WAS.
21 years ago though so I may be mistaken.
Moderator
One of the Douglas Islanders - was it VH-ATO? - won the London to Sydney Air Race around 1968 and carried wording to that effect on the fuselage.
I can only assume it was: the only aircraft in the race; it started in the 1967 race, finishing first in the 1968 race; or had one hell of a handicap.
From Wiki - Variants:
BN-2
Prototype first flown in 1966 with two 260 hp Lycoming O-540-E4B5 piston engines.
BN-2A
Production version with minor modification from prototype and increased Takeoff weight.
BN-2A-2
A BN-2A with modified flaps, and two 300 hp Lycoming IO-540-K1B5 (fuel injected) engines.
BN-2A-3
A BN-2A-2 with increased wingspan and fitted with extra wingtip fuel tanks.
BN-2A-6
A BN-2A with wing leading edge modifications and two 260 hp Lycoming O-540-E4C5 engine.
BN-2A-7
A BN-2A-6 with increased wingspan and fuel capacity.
BN-2A-8
A BN-2A-6 with droop flaps.
BN-2A-9
A BN-2A-7 with droop flaps.
BN-2A-10
A BN-2A-8 with increased takeoff weight and 270 hp Lycoming TIO-540-H1A (turbo-charged, fuel injected) engines.
BN-2A-20
A BN-2A-2 with increased takeoff weight and minor improvements.
BN-2A-21
A BN-2A-3 with increased takeoff weight.
BN-2A-23
A BN-2A-21 with lengthened nose.
BN-2A-24
A BN-2A-26 with lengthened nose.
BN-2A-25
A BN-2A-27 with lengthened nose.
BN-2A-26
A BN-2A-8 with increased takeoff weight.
BN-2A-27
A BN-2A-9 with increased takeoff weight.
BN-2A-30
A BN-2A-20 fitted with floats. Twin floats were attached to the undercarriage legs and incorporated retractable landing gear.
BN-2A-41
Turbo Islander with lengthened nose, droop flaps and two Lycoming LTP-101 turboprops, first flown in 1977.
Britten-Norman BN-2B Defender
Defender military variant with 300 hp IO-540-K1B5 engines and underwing hard points and military modifications.
BN-2B-20
A BN-2A-20 with improved soundproofing and increased landing weight and other minor modifications.
BN-2B-21
A BN-2A-21 with Model B improvements.
BN-2B-26
A BN-2A-26 with Model B improvements.
BN-2B-27
A BN-2A-27 with Model B improvements.
A BN-2T at the 2010 Farnborough Airshow
BN-2T
Turbine Islander based on BN-2A-26 with two 320 shp Allison 250-B17C turboprops.
Islander AL.Mk 1
Twin-engined communications, reconnaissance aircraft for the British Army; seven built. Used for aerial reconnaissance and photography in Northern Ireland during Operation Banner. They were part of No. 1 Flight, Army Air Corps and were based at Aldergrove.
Islander CC.Mk 2 and CC.Mk 2A
Twin-engined communications aircraft for the RAF; three operated.
Maritime-Defender
Armed maritime reconnaissance and patrol aircraft.
BN-2A-III Trislander
Three engined Trislander, a stretched BN-2A with 18 seats and three 260 hp Lycoming O-540-E4C5 piston engines.
A float plane version.......
I can only assume it was: the only aircraft in the race; it started in the 1967 race, finishing first in the 1968 race; or had one hell of a handicap.
From Wiki - Variants:
BN-2
Prototype first flown in 1966 with two 260 hp Lycoming O-540-E4B5 piston engines.
BN-2A
Production version with minor modification from prototype and increased Takeoff weight.
BN-2A-2
A BN-2A with modified flaps, and two 300 hp Lycoming IO-540-K1B5 (fuel injected) engines.
BN-2A-3
A BN-2A-2 with increased wingspan and fitted with extra wingtip fuel tanks.
BN-2A-6
A BN-2A with wing leading edge modifications and two 260 hp Lycoming O-540-E4C5 engine.
BN-2A-7
A BN-2A-6 with increased wingspan and fuel capacity.
BN-2A-8
A BN-2A-6 with droop flaps.
BN-2A-9
A BN-2A-7 with droop flaps.
BN-2A-10
A BN-2A-8 with increased takeoff weight and 270 hp Lycoming TIO-540-H1A (turbo-charged, fuel injected) engines.
BN-2A-20
A BN-2A-2 with increased takeoff weight and minor improvements.
BN-2A-21
A BN-2A-3 with increased takeoff weight.
BN-2A-23
A BN-2A-21 with lengthened nose.
BN-2A-24
A BN-2A-26 with lengthened nose.
BN-2A-25
A BN-2A-27 with lengthened nose.
BN-2A-26
A BN-2A-8 with increased takeoff weight.
BN-2A-27
A BN-2A-9 with increased takeoff weight.
BN-2A-30
A BN-2A-20 fitted with floats. Twin floats were attached to the undercarriage legs and incorporated retractable landing gear.
BN-2A-41
Turbo Islander with lengthened nose, droop flaps and two Lycoming LTP-101 turboprops, first flown in 1977.
Britten-Norman BN-2B Defender
Defender military variant with 300 hp IO-540-K1B5 engines and underwing hard points and military modifications.
BN-2B-20
A BN-2A-20 with improved soundproofing and increased landing weight and other minor modifications.
BN-2B-21
A BN-2A-21 with Model B improvements.
BN-2B-26
A BN-2A-26 with Model B improvements.
BN-2B-27
A BN-2A-27 with Model B improvements.
A BN-2T at the 2010 Farnborough Airshow
BN-2T
Turbine Islander based on BN-2A-26 with two 320 shp Allison 250-B17C turboprops.
Islander AL.Mk 1
Twin-engined communications, reconnaissance aircraft for the British Army; seven built. Used for aerial reconnaissance and photography in Northern Ireland during Operation Banner. They were part of No. 1 Flight, Army Air Corps and were based at Aldergrove.
Islander CC.Mk 2 and CC.Mk 2A
Twin-engined communications aircraft for the RAF; three operated.
Maritime-Defender
Armed maritime reconnaissance and patrol aircraft.
BN-2A-III Trislander
Three engined Trislander, a stretched BN-2A with 18 seats and three 260 hp Lycoming O-540-E4C5 piston engines.
A float plane version.......
"A BN-2A-20 fitted with floats. Twin floats were attached to the undercarriage legs and incorporated retractable landing gear."
tail wheel...
To see the...'amphibious BN-A'... goto cthornberg's post #3 at:
Float Equipped BN Islander? - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
I flew Islanders in PNG in the 70's with Macair in PNG. All I can say after looking at the picture referred to above is...thank Christ Macair didn't have this variant!
A BN-2A-20 fitted with floats. Twin floats were attached to the undercarriage legs and incorporated retractable landing gear.
Float Equipped BN Islander? - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
I flew Islanders in PNG in the 70's with Macair in PNG. All I can say after looking at the picture referred to above is...thank Christ Macair didn't have this variant!
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The aircraft that won the air race was VH-ATX. Did many Kiunga to Ningrum shuttles at the start of the OkTedi exploration in it.
BN2's were great at what they were designed to do - short hops to short runways. Great fun in PNG.
BN2's were great at what they were designed to do - short hops to short runways. Great fun in PNG.
Grandpa Aerotart
Please tell me that float equipped Islander never actually flew - imagine the state of the wing skins between the engine nacelle and the fuse after a water landing - woulda made the ripples people put in them in PNG look undetectable.
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Mount Cook Airlines experimented with ski equipped Islanders for a while. I am told that the main gear legs kept cracking due to the stresses experienced when landing on snow & they eventally gave up with it.
This article in the November 1974 Flight International mentions them, although it says that the operation was satisfactory -
1974 | 1829 | Flight Archive
Maybe someone can shed more light on the matter.
I can only imagine that the stress of water take-offs & landings would be much greater than on snow.
This article in the November 1974 Flight International mentions them, although it says that the operation was satisfactory -
1974 | 1829 | Flight Archive
Maybe someone can shed more light on the matter.
I can only imagine that the stress of water take-offs & landings would be much greater than on snow.
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Yep, fond memories.
I have been both engineer and pilot on Islanders and Trislanders, often in some strange and out of the way places.
I am sure the Wiki list posted earlier is incomplete or inaccurate.The prototype had Continental engines. The most common aircraft are the -26 and -27 260 hp variants. Then the -20 and -21 300 hp versions, the tip tanks being the other difference.
The Trislander came in 3 flavours also, - the obvious one being the long and short nose varieties but also the FAA certified version with auto-feather.
For those that have flown the Islander and remember 65 Kts as being THE figure.... Then it it is much the same with the Trislander. Problem being you now have yet another number to memorise... 80Kts.
I have been to the factory in Bembridge but the Islander was also produced in other places about the place, - I think South America and Asia.
I have been both engineer and pilot on Islanders and Trislanders, often in some strange and out of the way places.
I am sure the Wiki list posted earlier is incomplete or inaccurate.The prototype had Continental engines. The most common aircraft are the -26 and -27 260 hp variants. Then the -20 and -21 300 hp versions, the tip tanks being the other difference.
The Trislander came in 3 flavours also, - the obvious one being the long and short nose varieties but also the FAA certified version with auto-feather.
For those that have flown the Islander and remember 65 Kts as being THE figure.... Then it it is much the same with the Trislander. Problem being you now have yet another number to memorise... 80Kts.
I have been to the factory in Bembridge but the Islander was also produced in other places about the place, - I think South America and Asia.
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Originally Posted by baron beeza
I have been to the factory in Bembridge but the Islander was also produced in other places about the place, - I think South America and Asia...