| Trislander | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Aurigny Air Services Trislander | |
| General information | |
| Type | Airliner |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Britten-Norman |
| Status | In limited service |
| Primary users | Vieques Air Link |
| Number built | 80 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1970–1982 |
| First flight | 11 September 1970 |
| Developed from | Britten-Norman Islander |
TheBritten-Norman Trislander (more formally designated theBN-2A Mk III Trislander) is athree-enginedpiston-powered utilityaircraft designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturerBritten-Norman.
The Trislander was designed in the late 1960s as an expanded derivative of the company'sIslander, a twin-engined commercial aircraft that had proved to be a commercial success. In comparison to its predecessor, it had a larger carrying capacity, being capable of seating up to 18 passengers, and could also performSTOL operations when required.[1] On 11 September 1970, the prototype Trislander performed itsmaiden flight; the type entered revenue service less than a year later.
Being marketed primarily as afeederliner and mostly sold to civilian operators, the Trislander was primarily manufactured at the company's facility on theIsle of Wight between 1970 and 1982. Later on, the Trislander was also produced in Romania, and delivered via Belgium to Britain forcertification.[2] Several different commuter airlines have operated the Trislander in scheduled passenger services, the largest being theGuernsey-based operatorAurigny, which flew the type for over 40 years. Despite plans to produce the Trislander at the American manufacturer International Aviation Corporation (IAC) as theTri-Commutair, these did not come to fruition.
During the 1960s, the British aircraft manufacturerBritten-Norman, founded by John Britten andDesmond Norman, had designed and commenced production of theIslander, a twin-engined commercial aircraft that quickly proved itself to be a commercial success.[3] Being keen to capitalise on the Islander, the company's management opted to pursue development of a larger aircraft that would be derived from its predecessor as to benefit from commonalities and to lower development costs. In 1968, the company flew a stretched variant of the aircraft, known as theBN-2E Islander Super, however, this model was never pursued through to certification in favour of a more radical alternative design - the Trislander.[3]
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Seeking to give the aircraft a considerably larger carrying capacity, the Islander's fuselage was stretched and strengthened considerably for the Trislander, a measure that necessitated various configuration changes The most visually apparent of these was the addition of a third engine located on the fuselage centre line atop an elongatedtailfin.[3] A fixedtricycle landing gear arrangement was also adopted. While possessing an unorthodox appearance, the arrangement proved practical; in terms of construction, the Trilander was similar enough to the Islander that the two aircraft shared the same final assembly line.[3]
The prototype of the Trislander was constructed from the original second prototype of the Islander; it performed itsmaiden flight on 11 September 1970.[4] Confidence in the type was such that it appeared at theFarnborough Air Show that same day.[3] Britten-Norman opted to principally promote the Trislander to prospective operators as afeederliner; foreseen secondary roles included its potential use by military air services as well.[3]
In terms of its flying characteristics, the Trislander possesses exceptional low speed handling characteristics, extended endurance, increased payload, and a relatively low noise signature. Capable of taking off from a 150 metres (492 ft) long landing strip, the Trislander can readily operate from unprepared surfaces. It was also promoted for its economical operating costs. Some variants came equipped withauto-feathering propellers and auxiliaryrocket-assisted takeoff (RATO) apparatus.[3]
During July 1971, the Trislander entered service with theGuernsey-basedAurigny, one month after the deliveries of the type had commenced.[5] Aurigny would be the largest operator of the type, operating 16 Trislanders at its peak.[5] In May 2017, Aurigny opted to withdraw all of its Trislanders,[6][7] the type having been replaced by newerDornier 228s.[8] One of the ex-Aurigny Trislanders has been preserved and placed on display at theImperial War Museum Duxford in the UK while another aircraft is displayed at Oaty & Joey's play barn at Oatlands Village inGuernsey.[9][10]
Following the acquisition of Britten-Norman by theFairey Aviation Group in August 1972 and the formation of the Fairey Britten-Norman company; the majority of manufacturing activity for both the Islander and Trislander was transferred to itsAvions Fairey factory inGosselies, Belgium.[11][12] All production activity of the type in Britain ceased in 1982, by which point 73 Trilanders had been delivered while a further seven aircraft were complete but unsold; that same year, Pilatus Britten Norman sold amanufacturing license to the American manufacturer International Aviation Corporation (IAC). IAC had planned to produce an initial batch of 12 Trislanders (which were to be marketed under the nameTri-Commutairs) from parts kits supplied by Britten-Norman before undertaking full production,[13] however, these plans ultimately came to nothing.[14]
Into the 2020s, companies have continued to operate the Trislander; a number have been made available for private entities to hire.[15]
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On 8 October 1977, ZS-JYF, operated by Southern Aviation, impacted the ground while attempting a stall turn during an air display atLanseria inSouth Africa. Despite sustaining severe damage (it was damaged beyond repair) the aircraft performed an emergency landing and neither occupant was injured.[24]
On 25 October 1991, a Trislander operated byBali International Air Service disappeared during an holding pattern nearH. Asan Airport in Indonesia. There were 17 people on board, which were all presumed dead.[25]
On 15 December 2008, a Trislander operated byLAP inPuerto Rico crashed into the sea somewhere near theTurks and Caicos, shortly after a distress call. A spokesman for the Asociación Nacional de Pilotos reported that the pilot had his licence suspended in October 2006.[26]
On 5 July 2009, a Trislander belonging toGreat Barrier Airlines (now Barrier Air) lost its starboard side prop six minutes into a flight fromGreat Barrier Island,New Zealand, toAuckland. The prop sheared off and impacted the fuselage, prompting a successful emergency landing. While there were injuries, no deaths were reported. The accident was caused by undetected corrosion of the propeller flange which led to its eventual failure.[27]
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Data fromJane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77[4]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
