TYPE: Light utility twin-prop transport.
PROGRAMME: Prototype (G-ATCT) first flight 13 June 1965 with two 157 kW (210 hp) Rolls-Royce Continental IO-360-B engines and 13.72 m² (45 ft) span wings; subsequently re-engined with Textron Lycoming O-540s and flown 17 December 1965; wing span also increased by 1.22 m (4 ft) to initial production prototype BN2 (G-ATWU) flown 20 August 1966; domestic C of A received 10 August 1967; FAA type certificate 19 December 1967; Romanian manufacture (Romaero) began 1969. In July 2002, further 24 Islanders ordered by BNG from Romaero with option to include two three-engined Trislanders. Contract included completion of three Islanders in advanced state of manufacture when former B-N company entered receivership. First of these flew 2 September 2002 and delivered to UK on 5 September as BN2B-20.
CURRENT VERSIONS: BN2 Islander: Initial piston-engined production model (23 built).
BN2A Islander: Piston version built from 1 June 1969 until 1989. Production totalled 890.
BN2B Islander: Standard piston-engined version since 1979; higher maximum landing weight; improved interior design; available with two engine choices and optional wingtip fuel tanks as BN2B-26 with O-540s and BN2B-20 with IO-540s (BN2B-27 and -21 no longer available). Features include range of passenger seats and covers, more robust door locks, improved door seals and stainless steel sills, redesigned fresh air system to improve ventilation in hot and humid climates, smaller diameter propellers to reduce cabin noise, and redesigned flight deck and instrument panel. Total of 154 delivered by end December 1999.
B-N, in conjunction with Hartzell Propeller Inc, has been testing a three-blade scimitar-shaped propeller developed as part of the NASA-sponsored AGATE/GAP programme, using a BN-2B operated by the North East Police Air Support Unit. The aim of the test programme is to minimise the aircraft's noise footprint through enhanced propeller aerofoil efficiency and reduced tip speeds.
Detailed description applies to BN2B version.
Series of modification kits available as standard or option for new production aircraft and can be fitted retrospectively to existing aircraft.
BN2B Defender: Military version. Design features as detailed under Turbine Islander and Defender entry. Customers include Indian Navy (six recently converted to turbine power), Belgian Army, Botswana Defence Forces and Jamaican Defence Force.
BN2T Turbine Islander: Described separately.
BN2T-4R Defender. No description of this version.
BN2T-4S Defender 4000: Described separately.
BN2A Mk III Trislander: Described separately.
CUSTOMERS: By December 2001, deliveries of Islanders and Defenders totalled 1,227. Recent customers have included the Botswana Defence Force (one attrition replacement), Hawker Pacific (Australia) and Tomen Aerospace (Japan). First to fly post-April 2000 purchase of company was G-BWNG exhibited at Farnborough Air Show, July 2000 having flown on 10 July 2000 and arrived at Bembridge on 19 July. First delivery under new ownership was a BN2B-26 delivered on 10 November 2000 to Aer Arann of Galway, Ireland, followed by another Islander delivered to Ryuku Air Commuter of Japan on 12 November 2000. Deliveries in 2001 included one BN2B-20 each to St Barth Commuter of St Barthelemy, Frisia Luftverkehr GmbH of Germany (four-blade propellers), Ryukyu Air Commuter and Kyokushin Air of Japan, and Calcasieu Parish Police Jury of the USA, last-named equipped with Micronair spraypods for mosquito control duties.
COSTS: Direct operating cost (2003): BN2B-26 £157.53 per hour; BN2B-20 £171.57 per hour (900+ hours annual utilisation; 0.90 mmh/fh).
DESIGN FEATURES: Robust STOL light transport, suitable for operation from semi-prepared airstrips. High, unswept, constant-chord wings and tailplane; sweptback fin with small filler; upswept rear fuselage. Three-blade propellers available on BN2B-20 and BN2B-26 giving quieter noise signature.
NACA 23012 wing section; no dihedral; incidence 2°; no sweepback.
FLYING CONTROLS: Conventional and manual. Actuation by pushrods and cables. Slotted ailerons, with starboard ground-adjustable tab; mass-balanced elevator; trim tabs in rudder and elevator; single-slotted flaps operated electrically; fixed incidence tailplane. Dual controls standard.
STRUCTURE: L72 aluminium-clad aluminium alloys; two-spar wing torsion box in one piece; flared-up wingtips; integral fuel tanks in wingtips optional; four-longeron fuselage of pressed frames and stringers; two-spar tail unit with pressed ribs.
LANDING GEAR: Non-retractable tricycle type, with twin wheels on each main unit and single steerable nosewheel. Cantilever main legs mounted aft of rear spar. All three legs fitted with oleo-pneumatic shock-absorbers. All five wheels and tyres size 16x7-7, supplied by Goodyear. Tyre pressure: main 2.41 bar (35 lb/sq in); nose 2.00 bar (29 lb/sq in). Foot-operated air-cooled Cleveland hydraulic brakes on main units. Parking brake. Wheel/ski gear available optionally. Minimum ground turning radius 9.45 m (31 ft 0 in).
POWER PLANT: Two Textron Lycoming flat-six engines, each driving a Hartzell HC-C2YK-2B or -2C two-blade constant-speed feathering metal propeller; optional three-blade Hartzell HC-C3YR-2UF/FC8468-8R. Propeller synchronisers optional. Standard power plant (BN2B-26) 194 kW (260 hp) O-540-E4C5, but 224 kW (300 hp) IO-540-K1B5 fitted at customer's option (BN2B-20).
Integral fuel tank between spars in each wing, outboard of engine. Total fuel capacity (standard) 518 litres (137 US gallons; 114 Imp gallons). Usable fuel 492 litres (130 US gallons; 108 Imp gallons). With optional fuel tanks in wingtips, total capacity is increased to 814 litres (215 US gallons; 179 Imp gallons). Additional pylon-mounted underwing auxiliary tanks, each of 227 litres (60.0 US gallons; 50.0 Imp gallons) capacity, available optionally. Refuelling point in upper surface of wing above each internal tank. total oil capacity 22.75 litres (6.0 US gallons; 5.0 Imp gallons).
ACCOMMODATION: Up to 10 persons, including pilot, on side-by-side front seats and four bench seats. No aisle. Seat backs fold forward. Access to all seats via three forward-opening doors, forward of wing and at rear of cabin on port side and forward of wing on starboard side. Baggage compartment at rear of cabin, with port-side loading door in standard versions. Exit in emergency by removing door windows. Special executive layouts available.
Can be operated as freighter, carrying more than a ton of cargo; in this configuration passenger seats can be stored in rear baggage bay. In ambulance role, up to three stretchers and two attendants can be accommodated. Other layouts possible, including photographic and geophysical survey, parachutist transport or trainer (with accommodation for up to eight parachutists and dispatcher), firefighting, environmental protection and crop-spraying.
SYSTEMS: Janaero cabin heater standard. 45.000 BTU Janitrol combustion unit, with circulating fan, provides hot air for distribution at floor level outlets and at windscreen demisting slots. Fresh air, boosted by propeller slipstream, is ducted to each seating position for on-ground ventilation. Electrical DC power, for instruments, lighting and radio, from two engine-driven 24 V 70 A self-rectifying alternators and a controller to main busbar and circuit breaker assembly. Emergency busbar is supplied by a 24 V 25 Ah heavy-duty lead-acid battery in the event of a twin alternator failure. Ground power receptacle provided. Optional electric de-icing of propellers and windscreen, and pneumatic de-icing of wing and tail unit leading-edges. Oxygen system available optionally for all versions.
AVIONICS: Comms: Dual VHF nav/com with ILS; transponder; intercom, including second headset, and passenger address system, all standard. Optional ELT, HF/MF radios.
Radar: Optional weather radar in nose.
Flight: ADF, MKR, VOR, DME standard. Optional autopilot, EGPWS, TCAS and B-RNAV.
Instrumentation: IFR standard.