Not a Monster

[Nasher]

My father loved Vincents, but never owned one.

If we ever saw one at a show he'd get upset about all the Vincent engines he saw go to the bottom of the sea. He told me they used to use them to power unmanned target boats when he was in the Navy. I don't know how true it was, but he believed it.

Nasher

[Mr Gazza]

Originally Posted by Nasher

He told me they used to use them to power unmanned target boats when he was in the Navy. I don't know how true it was, but he believed it.

Nasher

They were Vincent Picador engines with magnesium cases. Used in Target drones.

An old fella I worked with when I was an apprentice, had a Picador engine and was building a kneeler to race with... I doubt he ever finished it.!

[Flip]

Originally Posted by Mr Gazza

They were Vincent Picador engines with magnesium cases. Used in Target drones.

An old fella I worked with when I was an apprentice, had a Picador engine and was building a kneeler to race with... I doubt he ever finished it.!

Funny you mention about target drones- seems a waste but I suppose a customer is a customer at the end of the day.

Same was true of Norton’s P series rotary (W*nkel) engines. They were used in the Banshee drone. I presume the sales helped fund their motorcycle development. Crazy to think how successful they were racing at the time but the road bikes were terrible.

When the company went public in the ‘80’s they sold penny shares which, as an old bike fan, my Dad bought into- they couldn’t afford to pay dividends to the shareholders but when they developed the race bikes (in their glorious JPS and not quite so glorious Duckams livery) the company offered tickets with pit access to wherever they raced. Happy memories of me and my Dad (sadly now passed) going to the races together meeting the riders watching the massive flames firing out the pipes on the over run.

Even more so when I rode my race bike at the 2012 Festival of 1000 Bikes and had Trevor Nation on his back wheel overtake me up the hill to Edwinas.

Anyways, apparently Norwich aviation museum has a Meggitt drone on display.

https://gizmodo.com/this-british-ban...1587140998/amp

Alternatively enjoy where they worked best here:

https://youtu.be/oyjEdcZKBtI

[Mr Gazza]

Norwich Aviation Museum has a very early Banshee, not sure what the motor is though.
I'm sure some of them had little turbines, but I might be getting muddled up with the Vindicator?
More recently Meggit were using triumph 955i triple engines, tuned at Hinkley to give 130bhp.

An old RC model flying buddy of mine worked for Meggit and travelled the world selling drones to various militaries, including a sprinkling of banana republics! He had some salty old stories.
They used to spy on modellers for ideas and sometimes headhunt the clever ones. It was all a bit cloak and dagger.

[damien666]

Originally Posted by Flip

Funny you mention about target drones- seems a waste but I suppose a customer is a customer at the end of the day.

Same was true of Norton’s P series rotary (W*nkel) engines. They were used in the Banshee drone. I presume the sales helped fund their motorcycle development. Crazy to think how successful they were racing at the time but the road bikes were terrible.

When the company went public in the ‘80’s they sold penny shares which, as an old bike fan, my Dad bought into- they couldn’t afford to pay dividends to the shareholders but when they developed the race bikes (in their glorious JPS and not quite so glorious Duckams livery) the company offered tickets with pit access to wherever they raced. Happy memories of me and my Dad (sadly now passed) going to the races together meeting the riders watching the massive flames firing out the pipes on the over run.

Even more so when I rode my race bike at the 2012 Festival of 1000 Bikes and had Trevor Nation on his back wheel overtake me up the hill to Edwinas.

Anyways, apparently Norwich aviation museum has a Meggitt drone on display.

https://gizmodo.com/this-british-ban...1587140998/amp

Alternatively enjoy where they worked best here:

https://youtu.be/oyjEdcZKBtI

Norton rotary, my dream bike ( not a standard f1). I’ve been to a few of the festival of 1000 events. As you say it’s spine tingling, a rotary at full chat. :-) Have a look at crighton’s race bike on the dyno on you tube. The pipes are cherry red.
In the original races they looked so much better than the Durex liveried Suzuki’s!! even in Duckhams colours.