BN-2T Turbine Islander
Britten-Norman · United Kingdom · first flew 1980 · light aircraft
The BN-2T Turbine Islander is a turboprop-powered development of the classic Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, offering improved hot-and-high performance and greater reliability over the original piston-engined design.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Boxy, slab-sided fuselage with a high straight wing and no dihedral — identical planform to the piston Islander |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Boxy, slab-sided fuselage with a high straight wing and no dihedral — identical planform to the piston Islander
- Allison 250 turboprops give the nacelles a slim, pointed profile in place of the piston Islander's round cowlings
- Three cabin doors — two on the starboard side — and a large cargo-accessible nose compartment on most examples
Near-identical outline to the piston Islander — high straight wing, rectangular fuselage, triple doors — but slim turboprop nacelles immediately distinguish it. Look for the prominent intake lip forward of the Allison engine and the slightly longer nose compared with the Continental-powered BN-2B.
Specifications
- The BN-2T Turbine Islander has a length of 10.86 m (36 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.94 m (49 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 292 km/h (181 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Britten-Norman flew the turbine conversion prototype in August 1980, replacing the Continental or Lycoming pistons with Allison (later Rolls-Royce) 250-B17C turboprops. The variant was certificated in 1981 and entered production alongside the piston BN-2B, aimed at operators in remote or demanding environments. It subsequently formed the basis of the stretched BN-2T-4S Defender 4000.
Variants
The BN-2T-4R Defender 4000 is a stretched, four-fin surveillance platform derived from the BN-2T airframe; several military operators fitted the type with radar and FLIR for border-patrol duties.
Where you'll see it
Operators include police, customs, and paramilitary air wings across the Caribbean, Africa, and South-East Asia, as well as island-hopping commuter carriers for whom turbine reliability outweighs the higher fuel cost. The UK Police Air Support Unit flew BN-2Ts for many years.
Related aircraft
- Britten-Norman Trislander
- Britten-Norman BN-2B Islander
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- Dornier Do 128
- EMB 312 Tucano
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