Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander
| Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander | |
|---|---|
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| Type: | Airliner |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
June 12, 1965 |
| Number of pieces: |
1280 |
The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander ( IATA BNI, ICAO BN2P) is a twin-engine aircraft of the general aviation with up to ten seats. It was designed in the early 1960s as a multi-purpose aircraft, especially for connecting poorly developed regions with unpaved airfields ( island traffic , tropical rainforest , outback ). Since then it has become the epitome of the “bush plane”. With a production period of around 40 years and over 1200 units produced, it is one of the most successful European aircraft developments. The nickname "Islander" refers on the one hand to the design of the machine for maritime climates and island traffic (use in gusty and cross winds ), on the other hand to the headquarters of the aircraft manufacturer Britten-Norman Group , which is based in Bembridge on the British Isle of Wight .
Basic concept
The BN-2 is a cantilevered shoulder- wing aircraft in aluminum construction with a rectangular wing layout , conventional tail unit and rigid nose wheel landing gear . The main landing gear units with double tires facilitate take-off and landing on unpaved areas. The nose wheel is steerable and (if modified accordingly) can be decoupled for particularly tight curve radii (70 ° angle of rotation). The high arrangement of the two motor nacelles reduces the risk of damage to the propellers by foreign objects being thrown up. With its electrically actuated flaps (flaps) and their relatively high engine power the machine on short-takeoff-and-landing (has STOL ) capabilities. The take-off and landing distances are only about 350 m. This means that it can operate from the Helgoland-Düne airfield, for example .
The BN-2 has a rectangular fuselage cross-section with a consistently flat cabin floor and can transport up to one ton of payload. It is used both in passenger service and as a cargo plane. As an ambulance aircraft, it can carry two lying patients. The four bench seats can be removed and installed with little effort. There is no central aisle. As with a car, passengers can get in and out through entry doors on both sides and are made easier by folding seat backrests. Behind the passenger compartment there is a luggage compartment accessible through a separate hatch. With some versions of the BN-2, additional storage space is available in an extended nose.
During the development of the machine, particular robustness and a long service life of the aircraft structure were aimed for. All cost-driving and maintenance-intensive components such as the pressurized cabin , engine turbocharging , hydraulic system and retractable landing gear have been omitted.
Although the machine is generally flown by only one pilot according to visual flight rules ( VFR ), it is often also equipped with instrumentation for flights according to instrument flight rules ( IFR ). The BN-2 Islander can land in cross winds of up to 30 knots. Although the first aircraft came on the market in the 1960s, today (as of 2011) more than 750 aircraft of this type are still in service worldwide.
Versions and history
BN-2, BN-2A, BN-2B
Engineers John Britten and Desmond Norman began developing a modern twin-engine multi-purpose aircraft in the early 1960s. After the original BN-2 (first flight in 1965) and the improved version BN-2A (first flight in 1969), the further improved variant BN-2B (first flight in 1978) was brought onto the market. The versions can only be distinguished from the outside by details such as the arrangement of navigation and anti-collision warning lights; the main differences lie in the more modern instrumentation and changed weight, payload and performance values.
Due to the wide range of possible uses, there are also countless sub-variants and modifications, ranging from different nose shapes for weather radar or additional luggage space to sliding doors for parachutists to different types of engines.
Most islanders are shipped from the factory with two-bladed propellers. The relatively high noise level of these propellers and stricter noise protection regulations forced most German operators in the late 1990s to convert to quieter three or four-blade propellers and to install additional engine silencers . D-ILFB started with Luftverkehr Friesland Harle , which was delivered with three-bladed propellers in 1996. From 2000, D-ILFH, D-ILFA, D-IFKU, D-IFTI and D-IFUT were successively converted to four-blade propellers. These propellers shown in the photo above reduce the noise level and still ensure an increase in performance. This allowed the maximum take-off weight to be increased.
As early as the 1970s, Dowty Rotol carried out studies to reduce noise emissions with an Islander. The Dowty Ducted Propulsor experimental aircraft used ducted propellers that were greatly reduced in diameter .
BN-2 Mk III Trislander
From 1970 a three-engine variant of the BN-2 was produced under the version name Trislander. It has a stretched fuselage with up to 18 seats and a tail motor integrated into the vertical stabilizer (with a normal pulling propeller). Due to the heavy weight of the rear engine, the Trislander is tail-heavy when unloaded and must be parked on the ground using a special rear support to prevent damage. The large number of car doors (three on each side) required because of the lack of a central aisle also proved to be disadvantageous. Despite the small number of units, there are some aviation companies that still use the Trislander today, as their piston engines make them cheaper to operate on extremely short distances than a propeller turbine aircraft of a similar size (e.g. the Fairchild Metro ).
BN-2T turboprop
For police and monitoring tasks, the BN-2T was with two Allison - propeller turbines developed in place of the piston engines. Since it can fly relatively fast on the one hand, but also slow and low if necessary, on the other hand, and manages with small airports, it was able to offer a cost-effective alternative to the use of helicopters for some task profiles. However, commercial operators prefer the piston engine versions, as the service life of turbine engines is greatly reduced when they are started frequently. They are therefore unsuitable for extreme short-haul service. With a typical flight time of five to ten minutes in island traffic and a correspondingly high daily number of starting, take-off and landing cycles, piston engines with their lower starting wear can be used more economically.
BN-2T Defender
The Britten-Norman Defender is a military multi-purpose version based on the BN-2T. The first flight of the machine took place in May 1970. The fuselage of the machine was extended and four pylons were attached under the wings for additional fuel containers, weapons and sensors. For the current version, the BN-2T-4S Defender 4000, the fuselage has been lengthened by 91 cm to make space for extensive equipment (e.g. thermal imaging devices). The wings have also been enlarged in order to be able to hold more fuel and thus increase the range and the maximum flight time (up to eight hours). A 360 ° search radar and a FLIR were installed in the bow and the cockpit glazing was enlarged. The Defender 4000 is in service in the UK , Ireland and Malaysia.
Areas of application
The main area of application of the Islander in Germany is the seaside resort traffic to the East Frisian Islands , to Sylt and to Heligoland . From Nordholz and Heide-Büsum , Helgoland is served by the OFD Ostfriesischer Flugdienst company up to eight times a day in scheduled services. Supply and cargo flights also secure mail to the Helgoland-Düne airfield .
The shortest scheduled flight connection operated in Germany from Harle airport near Carolinensiel to Wangerooge (approx. 10 km) is served with BN-2 of the regional airline FLN Frisia-Luftverkehr .
The world's shortest scheduled flight connection is on the British Orkney Islands between Westray and Papa Westray . The distance of almost three kilometers is covered in one to two minutes with BN-2 from Flybe's partner company Loganair . The ticket price of 7 pounds sterling per km one way exceeds the ticket prices of the Concorde flights at the time.
Incidents
- On November 9, 1966, the first prototype of a BN-2 Islander ( G-ATCT ) crashed : After a few demonstration flights, the machine was transferred from Emden Airport to Southampton International Airport . The flight was carried out according to visual flight rules . Over the airspace of the Netherlands , the pilot flew into their control area despite several warnings from air traffic control at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol . As announced, the machine encountered thick cloud cover, fog and rain. Radar contact with air traffic control could not be established. When the machine appeared on the radar screens, it was going in circles. The pilot reported problems with the radio compass and that he was flying the machine in a circle because he could not maintain a course. The pilot then attempted to spiral the machine up out of the ceiling. At an altitude of 10,000 feet, the machine entered a zone with icing conditions and turbulence. The machine's operating limits were exceeded and control was lost. While the machine fell to the ground, it broke apart due to an overload in the air, the debris fell into a lake near the village of Oudega. Both occupants of the machine were killed (see also flight accident at Oudega ).
- On November 15, 1972, a Rousseau Aviation BN-2A9 Islander ( aircraft registration F-BTGH ) was irreparably damaged at Dinard-Pleurtuit Airport . The machine had just been taken over from the factory seven months earlier.
- On June 13, 1981, a Taiwan Airlines BN-2A-8 Islander ( B-11108 ) crashed on a cliff 12 kilometers northwest of Hualien Airport during a typhoon , killing both occupants.
- On June 1, 1984, a BN-2A-26 Islander of the British Loganair (G-BDVW) touched down 140 meters in front of the runway during an attempt to land at Sanday Airfield ( Orkney Islands , Scotland) and collided with a small barbed wire during the next go-around attempt Gravel ponds and a ditch, whereby the machine was then irreparably damaged. It came from Stronsay Airport, only 11 kilometers away . The causes of the accident were determined to be the continuation of the visual flight at a cloud height of only 60 to 90 meters and the relative inexperience of the pilot. All 8 occupants, the pilot and 7 passengers, survived the accident.
- August 20, 1991 launched a BN-2A-26 Islander of Temsco Helicopters (N68HA) on the airport Ketchikan ( Alaska ) for a flight to 135 km away Wrangell . About 45 kilometers from the airport, the pilot decided to return to Ketchikan due to the poor weather conditions. The machine flew into the area at a height of 250 m still 33 kilometers from the target. The pilot and all 3 passengers were killed.
- On May 19, 1996, a BN-2A-26 Islander belonging to the British Loganair (G-BEDZ) crashed 1500 meters from the runway on the second attempt at Lerwick / Tingwall Airport ( Scotland ). On the turn into the final approach , the pilot flew the machine into a right turn with a 70 ° bank angle and about 20 ° pitch. The aircraft collided with the terrain at a speed that was twice as high. The pilot was killed, the two passengers survived.
- On December 26, 2001, a BN-2B-26 Islander crashed into the Weser after taking off from the Bremerhaven airfield. The cause of the accident was that snow on the wings had not been removed and did not come off during the initial climb. Seven of the eight passengers and the pilot died in the crash (see plane crash in Bremerhaven ) .
- On March 15, 2005, a BN-2B-26 Islander of the British Loganair (G-BOMG) was flown below the prescribed minimum descent altitude on approach to Campbeltown Airport ( Scotland ) in bad weather . The machine broke on impact and sank into the sea 14 kilometers west-northwest of the destination airfield. Both occupants, the pilot and the passenger, were killed. Contributing factors to this CFIT ( Controlled flight into terrain ) were fatigue, lack of flying practice during the previous 32 days and overloading of the only pilot on board.
- On February 8, 2011, an Islander of the Ostfriesische Lufttransport had to make an emergency landing at Emden Airport. When taking off from the island of Borkum , the pilot noticed a problem with the landing gear, but was able to land the machine successfully on a foam carpet. Neither the pilot nor the eight passengers were injured in the emergency landing. The investigations of the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation are ongoing.
- When landing at Helgoland-Düne airfield on June 8, 2011, an Islander rolled over the end of the runway and came to a standstill on unpaved terrain. The aircraft was badly damaged, while the pilot and his six passengers were unharmed. The reason for the accident was aquaplaning on runway 33.
- On December 28, 2014, a BN-2A6 Islander operated by Air Services Limited - ASL (8R-GHE) disappeared without a trace during a cargo flight from Mahdia to Karisparu in Guyana with two crew members on board.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data (BN-2A Islander) | Data (BN-2T-4S Defender 4000) |
|---|---|---|
| Year of construction (s) | from 1965 | from 1972 |
| Manufacturer | Britten-Norman Group | |
| crew | 1-2 | |
| Passengers | up to 9 | at least 2 |
| span | 14.94 m | 16.15 m |
| length | 10.86 m | 12.2 m |
| height | 4.18 m | 4.37 m |
| Empty mass | 1627 kg | 2267 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 2993 kg | 3855 kg |
| Top speed | 273 km / h | 363 km / h |
| Cruising speed | Max. 273 km / h | 278 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 4024 m | 7620 m |
| Range | 1400 km | 1863 km |
| Engines | 2 × Lycoming O-540 -E4C, each 195 kW (260 PS) | Rolls-Royce Allison RRA 250-B17F / 1 , 298 kW each |
Web links
- Manufacturer Britten-Norman November 6, 2005
- Type certification of the BN2 Islander series - EASA-TCDS-A.388 (PDF; 62 kB)
- Museum Association BN Historians (GB) November 10, 2005
Individual evidence
- ↑ Islander Historians: Islander 2005 . Staines, 2005, p. 77.
- ^ Accident report BN-2 Islander F-BTGH , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 17, 2018.
- ^ Accident report BN-2 Islander B-11108 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 17, 2017.
- ^ Accident report BN-2 Islander G-BDVW , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on March 9, 2020.
- ↑ Accident report BN-2 Islander N68HA , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on August 6, 2019.
- ^ Accident report BN-2 Islander G-BEDZ , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on March 9, 2020.
- ↑ Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation: Investigation Report 3X286-0 / 01 . Braunschweig 2004 (PDF; 2.8 MB).
- ^ Accident report BN-2 Islander G-BOMG , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on March 9, 2020.
- ↑ Michael Klöpper: Passenger plane has to make an emergency landing in Emden . ( Memento of February 11, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) February 8, 2011, accessed on March 7, 2017.
- ^ Image of the emergency landing
- ↑ Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation: Investigation Report BFU 3X079-11 . Braunschweig 2011 (PDF; 457 kB).
- ^ Accident report BN-2 Islander 8R-GHE , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 17, 2018.
