Britten-Norman Aircraft (BNA) has restarted manufacture of the Trislander. The announcement was made recently at the Avalon Air Show in Melbourne, Australia. The first new Trislander, which is being built at BNA’s UK factory at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight, will be used as the demonstrator model. The aircraft will undertake a world tour to convert current interest into the firm orders required for BNA to move back into full-scale production.

BNA also reported encouraging progress towards the introduction of a Jet A1 fuelled engine for the Islander. Power plants currently under evaluation include the SMA SR305, the 300 HP version of which is expected to be available later this year. A spokesperson said: “With immediate effect BNA is offering all new piston Islander customers the option for conversion to the Jet A1 engine as and when it becomes available.” The option, which is subject to contract, will include free conversion and buy-back options. Future plans for retrofitting existing Islander and Trislander fleets are also under consideration.