The first Islander aircraft to be fully built in the UK since Britten-Norman repatriated production to its Bembridge site on the Isle of Wight has begun ground testing ahead of its first flight.
First flight is targeted for September, after which the aircraft will be delivered to the Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS) following completion of flight testing and customer preparation. Britten-Norman is also opening its production line to customers and media ahead of the aircraft’s formal launch later this year.
The BN2B-26 Islander is powered by two 260hp Lycoming O-540 piston engines and seats up to nine passengers alongside a pilot. It has a wingspan of 49ft (14.9m) and a length of 35ft 9in (10.9m).
Published figures give the type a range of around 870 miles and a cruising speed of about 150-170mph (240-274km/h). Its short-field capability, a key reason for the Islander’s use on remote and island routes, includes a published take-off distance of around 620ft (189m).
The aircraft is the first Islander to be fully assembled through Britten-Norman’s reshored UK production line. It marks the return of complete civil Islander manufacturing to the UK, following a period in which major assemblies were made overseas before final assembly in the UK.
The aircraft was rolled out at the company’s Isle of Wight facility on July 30, the day after electrical power was applied for the first time. The roll-out followed the installation of the engines, propellers, cowlings, electrical systems, brakes and flight control surfaces, and came after structural completion reached 75% in June.
Behind the aircraft, a second airframe is already progressing through the line, with components for follow-on aircraft in manufacture. The company is establishing a continuous production cadence at Bembridge, supported by investment in new machinery, tooling and facilities and a workforce that has grown by more than 40% since production was reshored.
Britten-Norman says the new-build aircraft retains the low operating costs, reliability and short-strip performance that have kept Islanders in service worldwide for more than five decades, now delivered through more modern manufacturing methods and tooling.
Richard Milne, chief operating officer at Britten-Norman, said, “We are firmly focused on completing ground testing and preparing for first flight. The line is running, a second aircraft is taking shape behind this one.
“Customers and media are very welcome to visit Bembridge and see the aircraft and the production line for themselves ahead of the formal launch later this year.”
