Britten-Norman BN-1F - G-ALZE

The BN-1F is a single-seat, ultra-light, parasol-winged monoplane built at Bembridge, Isle-of-Wight by John Britten and Desmond Norman in 1950. The design was kept as simple as possible to make it suitable for amateur construction and the prototype, registered G-ALZE on 16 March 1950, was ready later that year, just over six months after construction had started.

The aircraft was originally powered by a 40-hp Aeronca JAP J-99 twin cylinder air-cooled engine loaned by the Kemsley Flying Trust, fuel was gravity fed from an 8-Gal fuel tank ahead of the cockpit. The parasol layout gave the aircraft good stability without the need for the structural complexities of dihedral in the mainplane. Large flaps, fitted to keep the stalling speed down, are cable operated from an old Tiger Moth slot control on the starboard side of the cockpit. It was originally fitted with a cantilever undercarriage.

The aircraft was badly damaged on an early test flight when it ran into a ditch and it was rebuilt in a considerably modified form. Modifications were made to the tail unit to improve the directional stability, inset ailerons were fitted, the JAP engine was replaced by a 55-hp Lycoming horizontally-opposed twin and the undercarriage was replaced with braced arrangement with rubber bungee springing. It was first flown in this form in May 1951 and was withdrawn from use in 1953.

John Britten and Desmond Norman went on to form Britten-Norman Ltd which became well known for the BN-2 Islander and Trislander series of aircraft and which is still in business at Bembridge, Isle of Wight.

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