Not a Monster

[Capo]

Super Nero

[jerry]

my mate Kriss is currently building a VINBUELL custom race chassis vincent black shadow spec engine and Buell 5 speed gearbox monoshock he build specials in NZ now used to live in Shoreham

[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.!

[jonzi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxKTzwaEa2o

[crawsue]

Back in the late sixties, I was flaffing about on a ratty old Tiger Cub, old guy (probably 36/7!!!) at the end of our street had an immaculate Black Shadow and a Comet, when he heard I was sitting my test he offered me the Comet for £80, I declined cos I wanted a Norton SS.
Then I discovered women ( well girls) and bought a Ford Anglia instead.....still remains my biggest biking regret......

[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.

[Nasher]

I'm sure my Father talked about target boats powered by them.
Looking at the configuration it would be easy enough to rig one.
Although of course Target boats back then were normally dragged behind a fast launch on a VERY long line!

My Father didn't survive into the internet age, but he'd have loved all this.

Nasher

[damien666]

Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P_JkddDw90

[Mr Gazza]

I can't find anything on Vincent powered target boats, but this might be what your Dad was thinking about?
https://www.vincentownersclub.co.uk/...fe-boat.10001/

It's a Vincent powered lifeboat. the thread mentions that there might be one at Flixton, which would be the Norfolk Suffolk Aviation Museum. If so I think I have seen it, but can't remember it having a Vincent engine. It did have "wings" though. More like dart flights really, to make a stable descent from the plane I imagine?

Haven't figured out the engine yet.. Seems to be a three cylinder two stroke with two crankshafts and six pistons. With pistons doing the work of the crankcases for the induction cycle?.. Must read it more carefully.

Maybe it was these engines that powered the target boats?
The Picador's gearbox would drive a propeller shaft though and would not need to be made of Magnesium or even alloy for a boat, so possibly there was a marinised Picador or V-twin? I suspect that the Navy would have gone for the marine engine from the lifeboat though.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by Capo

Super Nero

Huh. Long before I was old enough to shave, I would ride my pushbike over to George Brown's shop in Stevenage and stare at that more than once - it was right there in the front window on display. with no fairing on it..