Britten-Norman BN-2B Defender

Britten-Norman · United Kingdom · first flew 1970 · transport aircraft

The BN-2B Defender is the military surveillance and light-attack derivative of the Britten-Norman Islander, a rugged high-wing twin used for maritime patrol, border surveillance and liaison.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	slab-sided fuselage with optional nose radome and underwing hardpoints
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

strut-braced high-wing monoplane with fixed tricycle gear
two wing-mounted piston engines
slab-sided fuselage with optional nose radome and underwing hardpoints

Distinguish it from the civil Islander by underwing weapons pylons, observation blisters, and sometimes a nose-mounted radome.

Specifications

The Britten-Norman BN-2B Defender has a length of 10.86 m (36 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14.94 m (49 ft).
Typical crew: 1-2 pilots plus mission operators.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed from the civil Islander airframe, the Defender added underwing hardpoints, observation windows and optional surveillance radar for military and paramilitary operators wanting a cheap, easy-to-maintain patrol aircraft.

Variants

Sub-variants include the stretched, turboprop-powered Defender 4000 and various sensor-equipped maritime and border-patrol fits.

Where you'll see it

It has equipped the air arms and coastguard/police services of numerous small and medium air forces worldwide for coastal and border surveillance.

Related aircraft

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