What do people think of the BN2 Islander?

[Bigbluss 304]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm looking for something bigger than the 310R but smaller than an actual airliner. The two that look interesting to me are the BN2 Islander and the Cessna 414, with an edge towards the Islander because it just looks very unique.

 

That said, I'll generally always go with the superior simulation. Is one far ahead of the other? Most of the reviews of the Islander are positive but it looks like it received a significant 2.0 update that changed a huge amount.

 

What are people's thoughts on it? Does it include things like wear and tear and the potential for failure like the 310R or Black box simulations?

 

Thanks :)

[regis9 4,053]

The 414 is the superior simulation.  The Islander is also good, it’s just that the 414 is very stiff competition.  No wear and tear etc on the Islander.

[jimcarrel 688]

I've got both, probably fly the 414 more than the Islander, but they are different and flying the BN2 has never made me regret having it.

[Bert Pieke 7,608]

414 is a lot faster... different aiplanes. SUV vs school bus.. 😉

[The Moose 1,179]

The Islander and Trislander are great.   No 310 level of failures and wear&tear though, but enough depth that you have to operate them properly.  The Trislander is the only plane I've flown in the sim where i had to abort a take off due to not focusing on the carb heat and my engines lost power half way down the runway 😃   The sounds are pretty incredible as well.  The ground handling is good, they have a real sense of weight in flight.  I love 'em both, even if they are like flying a brick.  Can I mention the sounds again?  Ahh, the sounds.  Music to my ears.

Both are really for shorter flights (perfect island hoppers) at fairly low altitudes and are slow.

 The 414 is such a completely different aircraft for completely different types of flights, more suited to faster, longer cruises.  Very good plane but not my style really.  One of the many purchases I regret. Not because it's bad in any way, I just never use it.

Your decision should be based on the type of flying you prefer.

 

Edited June 17, 2023 by The Moose

[Torsen 506]

4 hours ago, regis9 said:

The 414 is the superior simulation.  The Islander is also good, it’s just that the 414 is very stiff competition.  No wear and tear etc on the Islander.

I honestly would say the opposite... Both have no wear and tear. But the Islander/Trislander has the more complex engine management as said above already. The 414 is for sure a tad nicer on model and visuals though. But as others said no real competitors and both good. But in direct comparison to the 310 both also a step down. There are some more indeep pilots out there who give the Islander V2 a minus on the new flight model but thats more on the edges of the flight envelope though. Trislander a bit faster btw than the Islander but not that STOL anymore.

Cheers T.

[Adamski_NZ 976]

12 hours ago, jimcarrel said:

I've got both, probably fly the 414 more than the Islander, but they are different and flying the BN2 has never made me regret having it.

Gets my vote too. However - the BN2 has much more *character*.

[scotchegg 4,311]

Unless there’s been an update I’ve missed, the BN2 is visually poor. Very unfortunate, as personally it’s a favourite but the 1.2 (I think) I last upgraded to still had low polycon counts, poor texturing, and very simple PBR work. 

Not impressive.

[kiwikat 531]

I really like the Islander- has way more character than most addons, despite being technically inferior to many. The flight model is solid and the sounds are excellent. Maybe not in the top 10 best planes for the sim, but definitely in my top 10 favorite planes for the sim. FWIW, The 414 feels super bland to me and I never fly it. 🙃

@scotchegg There is a v 2.X available now- supposedly been substantially improved compared to the older model, but I purchased it recently so I've only experienced the "new" one.

Edited June 18, 2023 by kiwikat

[qqwertz 819]

The 414 is certainly better modelled, but I would never consider it as "bigger than the 310R". It has the same engine configuration and number of seats. Yes, it is a bit faster and is pressurized, which means you can fly different routes with it, but in terms of clientele it would serve a similar purpose.

The BN-2 Islander fulfills the opposite role. It is slower than the 310R and primarily serves short routes. It has 9 pax seats with a unique door arrangement. Somebody joked above that it is a "school bus". It actually is used in that role by Air Montmagny to transport students from Isle-aux-Grues in Quebec to their school on the mainland. Also, it was mentioned that the Islander has "character". This is so true. It is one of my favorite airplanes because it is so rugged and down-to-Earth.

[regis9 4,053]

19 hours ago, Torsen said:

I honestly would say the opposite... Both have no wear and tear. But the Islander/Trislander has the more complex engine management as said above already. The 414 is for sure a tad nicer on model and visuals though. But as others said no real competitors and both good. But in direct comparison to the 310 both also a step down. There are some more indeep pilots out there who give the Islander V2 a minus on the new flight model but thats more on the edges of the flight envelope though. Trislander a bit faster btw than the Islander but not that STOL anymore.

That’s fair, and despite my previous comments my advice to the OP would be to consider buying the Islander as it’s less similar to the 310.

One of my favourite remote flights in the sim is a real world BN2 flight from Halifax (CYHZ) to Sable Island, a windswept sandbar out in the Atlantic Ocean.  You land on a beach on an island inhabited by a handful of scientists and a bunch of horses….good times!  There’s even a repaint available at .to for Sable Aviation.

[Dominique_K 10,156]

You guys convinced me to buy the Islander but at the BBS checkout : Paypal only 🤦‍♂️ ! 

[Nieto 0]

1 hour ago, Dominique_K said:

You guys convinced me to buy the Islander but at the BBS checkout : Paypal only 🤦‍♂️ ! 

Bonsoir Dominique,

Nous avions communiqué ensemble voilà quelques temps de ça...Si tu es intéressé par le BN-2 Islander, contacte moi

Bien cordialement

Jean-Pierre

[Dominique_K 10,156]

8 minutes ago, Nieto said:

Bonsoir Dominique,

Nous avions communiqué ensemble voilà quelques temps de ça...Si tu es intéressé par le BN-2 Islander, contacte moi

Bien cordialement

Jean-Pierre

I am only interested in buying the Islander with the developer 😉

[peloto 214]

And what does BN2 Islander think of the people?