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Post by harrysone on Jan 11, 2020 20:17:35 GMT 12
I made these decals some time ago for a friend, however having flown on both of Stewart Island Flights Islanders in past 6 weeks, I thought it was a good opportunity to produce FXE in miniature using the airfix 1/72 model. Note the 3 bladed Hartzell props   Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr  Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr  Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr |
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Post by 30sqnatc on Jan 11, 2020 20:51:37 GMT 12
I've just received Valom 1/48th turbo Islander. Your colour scheme would look great In that scale.
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Post by baronbeeza on Jan 12, 2020 7:20:39 GMT 12
I used to fly FXE out to the Island but it had two blade props back then. Of the three we flew it was my favorite, the others at the time were FWZ and FLU.
I had need to check the undercarriage status and still remember some of the wording in the original logbooks. They had come out of Air Moorea and the entries were a challenge for my schoolboy French.
Great times but the flying was much like driving a truck, plenty of freight to keep you fit.
Memories of being halfway back across the strait with sweat still on the brow and a half consumed bread roll in hand.
The schedule was a take-off out of Invercargill on the hour.
With 23 minutes each way for the flight it didn't leave much time at each end for the disembarking, seat reconfig, freight loading and repeat reverse exercise. The cold air vent was appreciated, even in those climes.
The relaxing and eating were confined to the window about mid-flight.
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Post by davidd on Jan 12, 2020 8:14:27 GMT 12
With those 3-blader props it looks quite a bit like the early Aero Commanders (apart from the fixed gear and plank-like wings and tailplane); did the early Islanders have Continental O-470s or the Lycoming equivalent? Incidentally the model features what appear to be rather over-scale rivets, or are they actually that size - don't think I have ever studied an Islander that closely!
David D
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Post by harrysone on Jan 12, 2020 9:59:27 GMT 12
Re the rivets...that's typical Airfix of the 60s-80s...I have subdued them somewhat by sanding them back...however in hindsight the could have been removed all together.
The props are ex- Cessna 185 from Khee Kha vac form kits
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Post by harrysone on Jan 15, 2020 8:56:37 GMT 12
On the question of Islander vs standard Aero Commander 500... This is a very interesting comparison...Both aircraft are of very similar dimensions, however the Aero Commander appears to have a bulkier fuselage with only 6 seats vs the Islander's 10 !  Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr  Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr |
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Post by davidd on Jan 15, 2020 14:26:56 GMT 12
Interesting pictures harrysone, certainly show the differences! To answer my own question in previous post, the Islander was (I should have taken time to check earlier) never powered by Continental O-470s, but the early ones had the smaller RR/Continental O-360s. Their origins and design philosophies were entirely different of course, so they were as different as chalk and cheese. The Wikipedia article on the Islander is not that great; I was quite surprised that they never mentioned that this aircraft was designed specifically to NOT have a passenger aisle, although it is insinuated by reference to every passenger having their very own access door! This of course provided the rather slim fuselage in comparison to the Aero Commander. Almost everything about the Islander design was chosen to reduce airframe weight and manufacturing costs, and to give maximum economy of operation, which seem to be the complete opposite of the intentions of the Aero Commander designers.
David D
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Jan 15, 2020 15:49:22 GMT 12
Both classic designs in their own rights
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 15, 2020 20:41:41 GMT 12
Do you have a GAF Nomad to compare the size with too?
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Post by harrysone on Jan 16, 2020 7:36:02 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 16, 2020 8:29:13 GMT 12
Cheers Harry.
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Post by baronbeeza on Jan 16, 2020 11:35:09 GMT 12
The top view of the Islander shows it to be with squarer tips as opposed to models with the tip tanks and I think 4' increased span. FXE is a BN2A-26 but we had all sorts in NZ. The following shows the differences for the later BN2B Islander but the same sequence was associated with the more common BN2A that operated here. There are four basic versions: the BN2B-26 and BN2B-27
with 260 hp naturally aspirated engines are identical except the latter has the wing tip fuel
tanks which increase wingspan to 53 feet, per modification NB/M/364. (See Supplement 1
to FM/40.) The BN2B-20 and -21 are the two equivalent versions with and without tip
tanks, but fitted with the injected 300 hp powerplant option.
So 26 and 20 are without tips but 260 and then 300 (injected). Then 27 and 21 are with the tips. Same 260 and then 300 thingey. I only flew one 300hp in NZ, JSB was a BN2A-21.  |
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Post by scrooge on Jan 16, 2020 15:54:34 GMT 12
The built in ’shower’ feature on the Islander was also quite novel. Due to the wing spar running over the fuselage and that join being apparently hard to fully seal, it was often the case that on first taxi or takeoff after a bit of rain the accumulated water would find it’s way into the cabin via the gaps in the ceiling liner sections. Not such an issue for row 1 (pilot + 1) or row 2, but 3 and 4 usually got most of it.
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Post by harrysone on Jan 16, 2020 16:49:45 GMT 12
It's interesting that Airfix kit straight out of the box has the longer wing (with tip tanks) by default...very easy just to leave them in place if you don't know your islanders 😉
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Post by kevsmith on Jan 16, 2020 23:51:24 GMT 12
Never had anything to do with the Islander but was intrigued to read they were originally fitted with Rolls Royce-Continental 0-360 engines. There never was a carburetted Continental 360 engine so maybe that’s why Britten-Norman went to the Lycoming 540, to avoid the costs/complications of the fuel injected system.
However this inspired me to read Wikipedia re the Islander and it quotes nothing other than the Lycoming 0-540, 6 cylinder engine.
But can you always believe Wikipedia?
The 500 Commander has always had the same basic Lycoming 0-540 of different versions but there is a 500U Commander in Melbourne that has Continental 0-470, 6 Cylinder Engines. And the standard 500 Commander is a 7 seater – three across the back seat!
At least the wider fuselage of the Commander means that when the pilot moves in their seat the other person in the front row is not forced to move as well, such as in the Beech Baron and other light twins!!
Great work with the models Harry, love your work!
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Post by baronbeeza on Jan 17, 2020 8:38:22 GMT 12
`I was well up to speed on Islanders and Trislanders back in the day. I was travelling the world and it seemed everywhere I went I bumped into them. I did a course on the Trislander in Guernsey and was at the factory on the same trip. This was shortly after SB190 was announced so we were all working our way through the issues there.
British aircraft are often something different. The Britten Norman stuff excels there. It would be very difficult to keep up with it all but I had a feeling the very first Islander, at some point, had Continental engines fitted. My guess would be 470's but it was long ago and that is just my impression. They could have even tried a number of options.
I saw many things while at the factory in Bembridge. I saw the suitcase with the instruments in it. At that time, 1991, they were assembling the BN2B models and in Romania. The bare machine was then flown to Bembridge and supposedly with the same engines and instruments. Those items were removed, freighted back to Romania and the permanent items then fitted. If it was going to be a Turbine version then that was all done by reworking.
The Islander is a pilot's machine. It all happens at 65 Kts. The Trislander is much the same, this time you have to remember 80 Kts is your speed.
The Islander is a good slow speed machine. Well a couple of peculiarities there.
The single engine speed, VMCA, is below stall speed. The rudder is so effective unlike most twins.
The issue with flying at such slow speed is that the wing can take some lifting, the aileron is not so effective if you happen to lose airspeed. Basically it is the aileron response that limits your airspeed in gusty conditions, no doubt a kick of the rudder has been used to help out there.
The Islander was just a perfect machine for what it did. There wasn't really a replacement for it, much like the DC-3 found itself.
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Post by baronbeeza on Jan 18, 2020 8:35:03 GMT 12
I said it all happens at 65 for the Islander, that is landing and climbing out. I think single engine also. More current pilots will chip in, or look up the numbers. I just want to elaborate on the slow speed a little more. I think VMCA was something like 39 kts with a stall speed of 43 Knots. Normally 65 Kts gave you plenty of safety buffer there but I know when in gusty, turbulent, conditions into Ryans Creek it was the wing dropping that was the issue. nothing like racking in full aileron and you can still feel the wing dropping on you. It must be hard on the passenger's nerves also. If the wind speeds were like that then the short runway is not a factor. The strip is lengthened now but the problem is still likely the turbulence. If the wind was strong and came from a certain direction we got lee turbulence from the mountain. NW from Mt Anglem. They are just impressions and someone with the accurate gen may chip in. Just to give you an idea of the issues though, different to fly than the average twin. Speeds here are in MPH. I use 77Kts = 87 MPH for my mental conversions. I have no idea how accurate this chart is but I did a google and it was the first, and quickest, to use here.  |
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