Britten-Norman Bn-2a Mk Iii Trislander

Tri Piston

The Britten-Norman Trislander holds the distinction of being one of the few successful three-engine commercial aircraft ever built, and certainly the only piston-powered tri-motor still flying scheduled passenger service in the 21st century. Developed in the late 1970s as a stretched, higher-capacity derivative of the popular Islander twin, the Trislander added a third Lycoming O-540 engine mounted atop the vertical stabilizer, a configuration that became its most recognizable feature. This unusual powerplant arrangement allowed the aircraft to carry up to 17 passengers while maintaining the rugged short-field performance that made the Islander family famous among island-hopping and remote-region operators. Britten-Norman built 73 Trislanders between 1970 and 1982 at their Isle of Wight facility, targeting operators serving short inter-island routes where the aircraft's ability to operate from unpaved strips and its triple-engine redundancy over water provided genuine operational advantages. The type found its niche in the Caribbean, Channel Islands, and Pacific island chains, where distances were too short to justify turbine aircraft but passenger loads exceeded the Islander's nine-seat capacity. With a maximum takeoff weight of 10,000 pounds and a cruise speed around 160 knots, the Trislander was never fast, but its 1,000-nautical-mile range and ability to turn a profit on 15-minute sectors made it economically viable in markets where few other aircraft could compete. Today, the Trislander population has dwindled to a handful of airframes, most operating Caribbean inter-island services where the type's unique economics still make sense. The aircraft's three Lycoming engines produce 260 horsepower each, giving it a service ceiling of 13,150 feet and single-engine climb capability that provided genuine safety margins over open water, a critical consideration for island operators. While modern turboprops have replaced Trislanders on most routes, the type remains a beloved oddity among aviation enthusiasts and a practical workhorse for operators serving the shortest, most marginal routes in commercial aviation. SkyMeter has tracked 11 flights across 2 airframes and 2 operators, with AIR CHARTER INC DBA, AIR FLAMENCO the largest observed operator.