Britten-Norman
Fairey Aviation (1973–1978) (1978–1998) (1998) (1998–2000) (2000–2024) (2024-Present) | |
Subsidiaries | Cushioncraft (1960–1972) |
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Website | britten-norman |
Britten-Norman (BN) is a privately owned British aircraft manufacturer and aviation services provider. The company is the sole independent commercial aircraft producer in the United Kingdom.
Britten-Norman has so far manufactured and sold it's aircraft to customers in more than 120 countries. In addition to aircraft manufacturing, the company also performs maintenance, overhaul and repair work as well as performing sub-contract engineering and design work.
The company's historic home is located at
The company manufactures such aircraft as the
History
John Britten[3] and Desmond Norman[4] started developing crop-spraying equipment in the middle 1950s and used de Havilland Tiger Moths (modified at their factory near Ventnor, Isle of Wight) for a contract in Sudan.[5] After that, Britten and Norman (who had both trained with De Havilland) turned their hand to aircraft design.
Their first design was the
Britten and Norman made a detailed analysis of the aviation market and decided there was a demand for a twin-engined utility aircraft with the minimum of complex systems that could operate from short, rough airstrips and also be used for high-density commuter flights. This brief developed into the BN-2
During the 1960s, Britten-Norman were involved in the development of hovercraft via their subsidiary Cushioncraft Ltd;[6] their first craft, the CC1, was the world's second hovercraft.
Desmond Norman then designed a four-seater touring aircraft to compete with established types such as the
Following the failure of the 'Nymph', Britten-Norman continued to develop and improve the Islander design, which was enjoying great success. This culminated in 1970 with the
Ownership of the company has passed through a number of hands. The
In March 2024, the company announced it had secured new investment from a group of investors led by 4D Capital Partners LLP.[11]
Aircraft
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Britten-Norman_BN-2_Islander_over_forest.jpg/220px-Britten-Norman_BN-2_Islander_over_forest.jpg)
Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Britten-Norman BN-1 | 1951 | 1 | Single engine ultralight airplane |
Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander | 1965 | 1,280 | Twin engine airliner |
Britten-Norman BN-2 Defender | 1970 | Twin engine military utility airplane | |
Britten-Norman BN-2 Trislander | 1970 | 72 | Trimotor airliner |
Britten-Norman BN-3 Nymph | 1969 | 2 | Single engine utility airplane |
See also
Notes and references
- ^ Morrison, Murdo (20 June 2006). "Great Britten". Flight Global. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "[Homepage]". Romero. Archived from the original on 27 May 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ Moss, Roger. "John Britten". British Aviation - Projects to Production. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "Desmond Norman". The Telegraph. 25 November 2002. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "International "Aerial Work"" (PDF). Flight International. 25 April 1963. p. 608. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "Cushioncraft Ltd". Bartie's World. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "The Queen's Award to Industry" (PDF). The Gazette. 18 April 1975. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ Wright, Bob (28 August 2020). "Britten Norman BN2 - A British Success Story". Duxford Aviation Society. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ "Biofarm, Inc. Announces Acquisition of Britten-Norman Limited". 19 October 1998. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ Fortier, Rénald (28 May 2018). "There is more to life than airplanes, Part 4". Ingenium. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ "Britten-Norman Secures New Investment". Britten-Norman. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)