Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander
The Britten-Norman Islander is a rugged, twin-engine light utility aircraft, and remains the best-selling British-designed commercial aircraft ever built. Its slab-sided, boxy fuselage isn't built for elegance — it's designed to maximise cargo and passenger space while keeping production simple and cheap. It became the workhorse of short island-hopping routes worldwide, from the Scottish islands to the Caribbean and Pacific. Decades after its 1965 first flight, it remains in production today, still serving many of the same short, remote routes.
Did you know?
The Britten-Norman Islander's slab-sided, boxy fuselage trades elegance for maximum cargo and passenger space at low production cost.
Specifications
| Length | 10.9 m (36 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 14.9 m (49 ft) |
| Height | 4.2 m (14 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 9 |
| Persons on board | 10 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 2.9 t |
| Range | 620 NM (1,148 km) |
| Maximum speed | 150 kt (278 km/h) |
| Stall speed | 40 kt (74 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 17,000 ft (5,182 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 13,000 ft (3,962 m) |
| Rate of climb | 860 ft/min (4.4 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 370 m (1,214 ft) |
| Landing distance | 350 m (1,148 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 520 l |
| Engines | 2x Lycoming O-540-E4C5 |
| Units built | 1,280 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
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