Jeep Wars!

 Commercial Replacements?

Today the field for the Jeep concept would seem to be limited to Range Rover, Mercedes, the Nomad and a few others in the U.S.A? 

But this is not true, there are dozens of better vehicles on the market from Spain, Israel, France and Russia, that are never mentioned on British television out of bias for friends!

The world of the utility vehicle for the armed forces, civil agencies Search & Rescue, Fire services, Ambulances, RNLI, Animal Rescue and Postal Deliveries, and a host of commercial purposes from fun to business is being fulfilled by nearly ever nation that has an automotive industry, some are adaptions of the original Willy's Jeep and others of the Land rover Defender and Shorts armored?

Israel and Spain have really gone to town in their conversions with base frame vehicles to giver the driver a full experience of being close to the ground! 

Many other designs deal with more of a practical use and yet there is also a fun element to enjoy driving?

Replacing the Land Rover Defender?

The Grenadier?

It was hoped that this would be a newer version of the successful Defender, but the Germans have produced their own newer version, leaving this new venture of the Grenadier possibly in the doldrums?

There are always problems with trying to keep a good thing going, corporations want to mass produce, because that has been the way over the last one hundred years since the Ford Model T?

Many have tried with aviation and other armaments only to find that the existing owners have done their own new design and have undermined these new upstarts?

Wither is will now go-ahead is not known and what success it might have is also not known, despite there being a demand perhaps more so for existing parts to keep the series going amongst the collectors and enthuseasts?

Pilatus Britten-Norman Islander/Defender. Part-Two.

Military Versions.

The first military version of this one plus nine passenger aircraft appeared in 1971. Capable of carrying an assortment of bombs and MATRA 68-mm rocket pods along with two 7.62mm guns in the Counter Insurgency role on four wing pods. It was closely followed by the Maritime Defender , which was modified to house a search radar in its nose.

It also carried a parachute dingy rescue pack, loud speakers, flares and alternative weapons points. Both the speed and range of the aircraft remained similar to its civil version, the Islander. Range was increased with the options of two fuel tanks in place of the two inner 750Ib (317.5Kg) bombs to 1,723 miles (2, 772Km's).

Sales and exports were world-wide Angola, Ghana, Guyana, Israel, Jamaica, Malagasy Republic, Malawi, Mauritania, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), Thailand and Turkey.

Pilatus Britten-Norman Islander/Defender. Part-One.

1965 to the Present.

First flown in 1965 the 10 passenger BN-2 Islander light transport has been sold all over the world, with 1100+ built. Licence production was granted to Roumania and the Philippines. Many small airlines operate the type here in the U.K. and across the world as the islander.

The aircraft BN-2A-85 Islander was popular for island hopping and getting into small landing strips, because of its early development and Lycoming piston engine choice, it was able to take a market demand for the type. Speed is about 257km/hr (154mph) and range about 1400km (840miles).

Later military versions came under the name Defender or where known as the BN-2-T Turbine. The Allison turboprops were the option here. Under wing hard points can be fitted to take 7.62mm machine guns and various small bombs and or rocket pods.

The Jamaican Air Defence Corps operate both civil and military types and they are used in anti-drug operations in the Caribbean Sea. Meanwhile one is used civil airlines east to west-coast daily flights along with one with a Tris-lander. The former Royal Ulster Constabulary also operated one type for high flight mapping and data gathering operating from Sydenham (Now George Best Belfast City Airport).

Britten-Norman Trislander.

1984 Taken over by Swiss Pilatus.

This is perhaps one of the strangest aircraft still flying today and operated in the U.K. by Channel Islands Aurigny Air Services. Call sign AYLINE, they have four aircraft in service G-BDTO, G-BOVT and G-RLON. Each has a 2+16 capacity seating. The fourth aircraft G-JOEY is stored at Guernsey airport. 

Meanwhile the origins of this three engined BN-2A Trislander has 75% components of the earlier Islander/Defender, which we will take a look at further on in the year. 

The 1984 Mk-III-4 embodied a rocket motor for the event of engine failure on take-off. Passengers designed for 16/17, powered by three Lycoming piston engines, cruising speed 175mph (282km/hr), range with full payload 160 miles (257km).

This aircraft was produced for a time in Belgium and has been exported to the U.K, Africa, Australia, U.S.A, Canada, Indonesia and South-America.

Police Aviation. Part-One.

Aircraft and Helicopters.

Nearly every police force around the world has access either to aircraft and helicopters of various types. The 'Eye in the Sky' is a vital tool in fighting crime from serious incidents such as civil disturbances to full blown rioting, burglary, car crime, chases and searching for missing people, children, bodies and stray or escaped animals.

Helicopters are the ideal tool for large cities and towns where take-off and landing can be made almost any where, if needs be. Bell-206, 222, EC-135, 145, Eccuril, Hughes-500, Robinson R-22/44.

Aircraft need runways and are limiting in that sense, but they can have long duration flights up to twelve hours with some types such as the Britten-Norman Defender. 

Aircraft can also cover huge areas of open land, forests and water and they can be deployed for long range observation annd reconnaissance in the case of para-military controlled or unstable conflict zones. Cessna O-2/337, FR-172, 152, Optica, and similar light and cheap aircraft.