Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander

The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a British light utility aircraft and regional airliner that was developed and constructed in the United Kingdom by Britten-Norman. The Islander, which is still in production, is one of Europe’s best-selling commercial aircraft types.

Reasons for its success and longevity

The Islander could carry far bigger payloads than usual aircraft in its power, weight, and cost classes by utilising low wing- and span-loading to achieve more efficacy than traditional competitors. To save production costs, both the wings and tail surfaces keep a consistent chord and thickness, while the ribs within the aircraft’s wing are all similar; both rivets and external fishplate joints are employed.Originally, a fabric-and-steel design was envisioned for the type. Instead, a light alloy monocoque technique was used. The construction is intended to produce and endure modest degrees of stress, and it has an indefinite fatigue life without being tested.

Latterly the Islander became even more famous when its starred in the ‘007 film Spectre’