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Technology update
Back to the future
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Britten-Norman Trislander is back in production again after 16 years.
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Putting an aircraft back into production after 16 years is hardly the norm in the aerospace industry. But that is what the UK firm Britten-Norman has done with its three-engined Trislander. The company even had to consult with some former technical staff who built the Trislander and who have since retired. The decision to put the Trislander back into production came when domestic operator China Northern Airlines selected it for short-haul commuter and aerial tourism roles. The 17-passenger (with single pilot operation) piston-engined Trislander made its debut at the Farnborough Air Show
in 1970 and complemented Britten-Norman's twin-eng-ined Islander. Production initially stopped in 1984 at the 81st aircraft. However, the Chinese airline decided the Trislander was what it needed on specific routes. It preferred piston power for high-frequency, short-sector operation and stated that the safety factor offered by three powerplants was also important. China Northern also wanted an aircraft with STOL (short takeoff and landing) capability for use when necessary on semi-prepared grass strips.
Britten-Norman is now assembling the first aircraft at its Bembridge facility in the UK from a kit supplied by its subcontractor Romero in Bucharest, Romania. Two subsequent aircraft will be fitted out by Britten-Norman from "green" airframes built in Romania. The new Trislanders will have a
contemporary-style interior. Compared to the original version, they also will have a redesigned instrument panel that includes GPS, HF radio, weather radar, and deicing functions. Engines will be 260-hp 0-540 Lycomings as previously used on the Trislander. Britten-Norman says impulse-coupling on one magneto ensures immediate start and two-piece cowlings are quickly removable. The engines drive Hartzell constant-speed
two-blade fully feathering propellers. The undercarriage comprises very long-stroke oleo pneumatic suspension and twin main wheels with large tires for low footprint loading. Heavy-duty Cleveland hydraulic brakes act on all four main wheels. Flying controls are conventional, worked by a pushrod and cable system. The aircraft has a one-piece box spar wing construction.
Stuart Birch
Aerospace Engineering May 2000
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