Britten-Norman begins ground testing first fully UK-built Islander in decades ahead of first flight

Britten-Norman has announced it has begun ground testing the first Islander to be fully built in the UK since the company repatriated production to its historic facility at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight.

The aircraft is expected to make its first flight in September before being prepared for delivery to the Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS) later this year.

Britten-Norman begins ground testing first UK-built Islander

The aircraft (currently registered G-FRZT) was rolled out at Britten-Norman’s Isle of Wight facility on 30 July, following the successful application of electrical power the previous day.

In a company statement, the manufacturer said that the milestone marked a “significant stage in the revival of complete Islander manufacturing in Britain.”

Before the roll-out, the aircraft had undergone a series of major assembly milestones, including the installation of its engines, propellers, cowlings, electrical systems, brakes, plus flight control surfaces and mechanisms.

The progress followed confirmation in June that the airframe had reached 75% structural completion.

The company said that ground testing would continue in Bembridge before the aircraft’s first flight, after which further flight testing and customer preparation will be carried out ahead of its delivery to FIGAS, the Falkland Islands Government Air Service that operates a fleet of Islanders on the British-owned archipelago in the South Atlantic.

The aircraft is expected to enter service in the Falkland Islands as part of the organisation’s long-standing relationship with Britten-Norman.

For FIGAS, the aircraft will add another modern airframe to a fleet that plays an important role in connecting communities across the Falkland Islands.

The organisation’s General Manager, Duane Stewart, said the service was looking forward to receiving the aircraft and described it as a valuable addition to its fleet.

“We’re delighted to see this new aircraft taking shape and look forward to welcoming it to the Falkland Islands,” Stewart said.

He also highlighted the longstanding relationship between FIGAS and Britten-Norman and the role the new aircraft will play in maintaining services to the islands.

The significance of reshoring Islander production

The new aircraft is the first Islander to pass through the company’s reshored UK production line as a complete aircraft. Its completion represents the latest stage in Britten-Norman’s effort to bring more of the manufacturing process back to the UK after a period when major Islander assemblies were produced in Romania before being brought to Britain for final assembly.

The decision to reshore production has required investment in machinery, tooling and facilities at Bembridge, as well as the rebuilding of manufacturing capability and skills. Britten-Norman says its workforce has grown by more than 40% since production was returned to the Isle of Wight.

The importance of the reshoring programme extends beyond the completion of a single aircraft. For Britten-Norman, rebuilding the capability to manufacture Islanders domestically gives the company greater control over production and creates a more established base from which to increase output.

Speaking exclusively to Aerospace Global News earlier this year, Richard Milne, Britten-Norman’s Chief Operating Officer, said that reshoring had been a keystone of the company’s business strategy.

“We wanted to get greater control of our production. We wanted to increase our output, get greater reliability in our supply chain, and that’s why we took that decision, he said.

The company is now working towards a continuous production cadence at Bembridge, with a second airframe already progressing through the production line and components for subsequent aircraft being manufactured.

In the longer term, the company hopes that the investment could provide a foundation for a more sustainable UK-based manufacturing operation, while retaining skills and expertise within the company and its domestic supply chain.

Milne described the aircraft’s roll-out as a significant moment for the company and credited the workforce involved in producing and sourcing its components.

“To see the first Islander from our repatriated UK production line come together, from producing and sourcing the many parts to roll-out, is a testament to the skill and commitment of everyone at Bembridge,” he commented.

The legacy of the historic Islander continues

The latest Islander off the production line remains closely related to the aircraft that has operated around the world for more than six decades. The type is known for its relatively low operating costs, rugged construction and ability to operate from short and challenging airstrips.

Those characteristics have made it particularly useful in remote communities and locations where conventional regional aircraft may be less practical.

Britten-Norman says the new-build aircraft retains these established characteristics while benefiting from more modern manufacturing methods and tooling.

The company describes the airframe as being built to the same standard that operators have relied on throughout the Islander’s long service history.

The significance of the milestone is also being felt at Bembridge, where the return of complete Islander production has transformed the site from a final-assembly operation into a more comprehensive manufacturing facility.

With the first fully UK-built Islander approaching flight testing and further aircraft already in production, the company is positioning the latest stage of the Islander’s long history as the beginning of a new chapter for UK-based aircraft manufacturing – an industry that has long since been in decline.