A colour photograph of a small yellow aeroplane on a landing strip. It has single propellers either side on the wings. It has the words 'SCOTTISH AMBULANCE SERVICE' written on the side at the front and 'G-BELF' written underneath the tail.
Discover

The versatile Britten-Norman Islander G-BELF aircraft

Science and technology

Posted in Short read , Written by Ian Brown, Assistant Curator of Aviation

Despite a slow start, the island-hopping Britten-Norman Islander has become one of the most versatile aircraft ever built.

The Islander operates on the shortest commercial flight in the world, between Westray and Papa Westray in Orkney.

A colour photograph of a small yellow aeroplane on a landing strip. It has single propellers either side on the wings. It has the words 'SCOTTISH AMBULANCE SERVICE' written on the side at the front and 'G-BELF' written underneath the tail.

The museum's Britten-Norman Islander aircraft, first registered in 1977. (EF.2005.43) 

A best seller

The firm of Britten-Norman was established on the Isle of Wight in 1953 to convert aircraft for agricultural use. Their first aircraft design, the BN-1F, failed to attract interest and only the prototype was built. 

The second aircraft, the BN-2 Islander, has become the best-selling commercial aircraft produced in Western Europe, a real success story for the company with over 1,200 built.

A colour illustration of a small yellow aeroplane. It has the words 'SCOTTISH AMBULANCE SERVICE' written on the side at the front and 'G-BELF' written underneath the tail.

Illustration of the Britten-Norman Islander.

To the rescue

One of the most versatile aircraft ever built, the Islander has been used in a multitude of different roles, including commercial passenger transport, air ambulance, fisheries protection, policing and counter-terrorist operations, to name but a few. 

The prototype first flew on 13 June 1965 and the first production aircraft on 24 April 1967, the launch customer being the Scottish airline, Loganair.

A colour photograph of a small orange and white aeroplane taking off. It has single propellers either side on the wings. It has the word 'G-BCWO' written underneath the tail.

Britten-Norman BN-2A-27 Islander G-BCWO in flight.

Credit: John Allan

Island hopping

In 1966 Loganair began in inter-island air service in Orkney, using Piper Aztecs until the Islander came into service on 27 September 1967. Flights operated from Kirkwall to Stronsay, Sanday and North Ronaldsay, with Westray and Papa Westray added a month later. 

The flight between Westray and Papa Westray is officially recognised as the shortest scheduled service in the world and is timetabled for two minutes, although the record for the flight is 58 seconds.

Britten-Norman Islander on a snowy runway on Fair Isle. 

Credit: Dave Wheeler under Creative Commons licence.

Air Ambulance Islander

Our Islander, G-BELF, was first registered on 13 January 1977 and started its flying career with an air taxi firm in Germany. It was later sold to Atlantic Air Transport before being operated by parachute clubs in England and Scotland. 

It was donated to the Museum by George Cormack of Cormack Aircraft Services Ltd. It has been painted in the colours of an aircraft operated by the Scottish Air Ambulance Service in recognition of the contribution of this life service in Scotland.

The Britten-Norman Islander BN2A-26 is on display in the Civil Aviation hangar at the National Museum of Flight.

Written by

Ian Brown

Ian Brown

Assistant Curator of Aviation

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