Airliner Classics - July 2018

Islander prototype. Development was completed by mid 1970

and the aircraft first flew from the Britten-Norman factory at

Bembridge on the Isle of Wight on September 11.

The aircraft soon proved to have exceptional low speed

handling characteristics, extended endurance, increased payload,

a low noise signature and frugally economical operating costs.

Capable of taking off from just a 450m (1,476ft) long landing

strip, the Trislander was able to readily operate from rough

runways and unprepared surfaces.

Into Service

Early production Trislanders were also converted from surplus

Islander airframes but soon there was sufficient demand to create

brand-new airframes; albeit on the same production line as its

twin-engined sister.

The first production Trislander flew on March 6, 1971 and

certification was granted on May 14 of the same year. The first

customer delivery – to Guernsey-based Aurigny – occurred on

June 29 and by the time production ended in 1982, a total of 73

aircraft had been produced.

By that stage the remnants of the Britten-Norman company

had been acquired by Pilatus and while it had no plans to keep

the Trislander in production, approaches were received from

Australian and US companies to produce the type under licence.

Sadly neither came to fruition although one of the 12 kits of

Trislander parts provided to US-based TriCommutair was

subsequently assembled in Guernsey and flew for the first time in

March 1996.

Aurigny

The Trislander flew with many airlines around the globe,

including nine US carriers and 12 in the UK and Channel Islands

but it is with launch customer Aurigny that it is best remembered.

Aurigny Air Services Ltd started operations on March 1, 1968

using Islander aircraft on routes connecting Alderney, Guernsey

and Jersey with Northern France and south of the UK. In the

first year of operations, the airline carried over 45,000 passengers

across its route network – which is quite some feat for a carrier

operating nine-seater aircraft!

It was obvious that a larger aircraft was needed and the

Trislander arrived at just the right time. The first examples arrived

in the summer of 1971, beginning what would become a 46-year

association with the type.

The initial seven examples provided to the Guernsey-based

carrier were Trislander Mk III-1 airframes, often referred to as the

‘short nose’ variant. In order to offer better luggage capabilities,

the decision was taken to stretch the nose to create a baggage bay.

A further eight of these new Trislander Mk III-2 variants joined

Aurigny over the coming years.

Uniquely, the airline was allowed to operate its Trislanders with

only a single pilot. Although rules on single-pilot commercial

flying changed in recent years the CAA allowed Aurigny to

continue operating in this fashion (under dispensation) due to its

18


19

A   • An

engineer works on

the tail nacelle that

would hold a 260hp

Lycoming O-540-

E4C5 f lat-six piston

engine on the rear of

a Trislander. The

aircraft were built

at Bembridge on

the Isle of Wight

with early examples

being converted from

Islander airframes.

26 AIRLINER Classics 2018

T L • The

Trislander prototype

joins up with Islander

G-AYBI and Nymph

G-AXFB. The

Trislander was

scrapped after f light

testing, the Nymph

was rebuilt as the

prototype Freelance

and the Islander

joined Air Vanuatu

as YJ-RV2 in 1999. It

was lost in 2008 when

it struck the side of a

mountain range after

taking off overloaded.

F   • The

prototype Trislander,

G-ATWU, at the SBAC

Farnborough Airshow

on September 11,

1970. The aircraft had
      performed its maiden
      f light earlier the same
      day after what Britten-
      Norman referred to
      as “a round-the-clock
      battle by workers” to get
      it ready for the show.
      Note the original small
      tail f in, which did not
      extend higher than the
      horizontal stabiliser;
      something that was
      changed on production
      versions.
      A KEY C
       

Islander G-AYPX

was converted into

a Trislander and

became G-AYTU.

It was used as a

development and

demonstration

aircraft and is seen

here carrying small

Aurigny titling during

f light testing out of

Bembridge.

IN the first year Aurigny Air

Services carried over 45,000

passengers – quite some feat for

a carrier operating nine-seater

aircraft