Britten-Norman

Britten-Norman (officially the Britten-Norman Group or BNG) is a British aircraft manufacturer owned by members of the Zawawi family from the Sultanate of Oman, making it one of the UK's two remaining independent commercial aircraft producers, the other being Slingsby Aviation of Kirkbymoorside in Yorkshire.

Britten-Norman has sold more than 1,250 aircraft to customers in more than 120 countries. In addition to aircraft manufacturing, the company also performs maintenance, overhaul and repair work as well as performing sub-contract engineering and design work. The company's sole factory is located at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight although some airframes were assembled under license in Romania once the type's robust and reliable reputation had been established. Romanian aircraft passed through Avions Fairey in Belgium to the UK for certification. [ [http://www.baha.be/Webpages/Navigator/Belgian_Aviation_History/Industry/Sonaca.htm]

The company manufactures such aircraft as the Islander, the militarised Defender and three-engined Trislander, all capable of short take-off and landing (STOL) operations. They are typically used for inter-island schedules.

Many modern Islanders/Defenders have been fitted with turbine rather than piston engines if the customer so requires. Some are employed on police or fishery patrol tasks, providing an efficient and roomy alternative to a twin-engined helicopter. The Hampshire constabulary that oversees matters on the Isle of Wight and across the Solent is one of the police forces using Islander aircraft. Turbine-Islanders are the only fixed-wing aircraft in use by the British Army.

History

John Britten and Desmond Norman started developing crop spraying equipment in the middle 1950s and used de Havilland Tiger Moths (modified at their factory near Ventor, Isle of Wight) for a contract in Sudan. After that, Britten and Norman (who had both trained with De Havilland) turned their hand to aircraft design.

Their first design was the BN-1F, a light single-seater parasol wing aircraft. They pitched the design to several aircraft companies but found no one willing to produce the design.

Britten and Norman made a detailed analysis of the aviation market and decided there was a demand for a twin-engined utility aircraft with the minimum of complex systems that could operate from short, rough airstrips as well as be used for high-density commuter flights. This brief developed into the BN-2 Islander, and the Britten-Norman company was formed to produce the aircraft, which first flew in 1965.

During the 1960s, B-N were involved in the development of hovercraft via their subsidiary Cushioncraft Ltd, their first craft, the CC1, was the second hovercraft.

Desmond Norman then designed a 4-seater touring aircraft to compete with established types such as the Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee. A single prototype of the BN-3 'Nymph' was built and flown in 1969, but failed to attract significant orders. Norman set up his own company to build the plane, re-named the 'Freelance' and produced components and fuselage sections for six aircraft. However, orders were still not forthcoming and following failure to win a military order for the 'Firecracker' design, Norman's company was wrapped up. After Norman's death in 2002, his son has overseen the completion of one of the Freelances to airworthy condition, and plans to assemble and sell the other 5, with the possibility of full-scale production starting if possible.

Following the failure of the 'Nymph', B-N continued to develop and improve the Islander design, which was enjoying great success. This culminated in 1970 with the Trislander, a trimotor version with greater range and capacity.

Ownership of the company has passed through a number of hands. The Fairey Aviation group acquired Britten-Norman in 1972. Following their financial troubles it was sold to Oerlikon-Buhle (owner of Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland in 1978 [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/companypage.php?ID=36] , hence the "Pilatus Britten-Norman" designation of some of their aircraft) in 1979. Oerlikon-Buhle sold Britten-Norman to Litchfield Continental in 1998.

Aircraft

* Britten Sheriff
* Britten-Norman Islander
* Britten-Norman Defender
* Britten-Norman Trislander

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.britten-norman.com Britten-Norman company website]
* [http://www.bartiesworld.co.uk/hovercraft/cushioncraft.htm The 1960's hovercraft of the B-N Group]