Banshee Viking mk4 5cc Diesel
08-13-2015, 04:51 AM
#1
Banshee Viking mk4 5cc Diesel
A mate has passed away (Dave Curry) and left his modelling estate to myself and another chap.
We've decided to sell off much of it and donate the proceeds to a local Public Hospital.
I'm confused about this engine. It's NIB and has a spare new piston/liner.
The crankcase is marked Miles on one side and ED (Electronic Developments) on the other.
I've read the ED story on Ron's Model Engine News site. That, and the engine test on the Spectra site suggest it was designed and first sold in the mid 1950's but still available in the mid 2000's..
The box contains the paperwork and is titled "Banshee Viking mk4". I've never heard of this before but clearly it's related to the 1950's engine.
Apparently two of these engines were bought by an Australian for a Scale Twin model, that never eventuated. They were then bought by a another club member from his estate, and he gave them to Dave to convert one to C/L. This was done and he received the other as payment.
The converted engine went into a new Ringmaster. I once got to start it, and it was a real beast, but rather fun.
It pulled the model around very well but it's not a F2B engine and as far as I know it's still hanging on the wall of his shed..
I'm going to stick this one on ebay.
Can anyone fill in the details? Who or what was Banshee?
We've decided to sell off much of it and donate the proceeds to a local Public Hospital.
I'm confused about this engine. It's NIB and has a spare new piston/liner.
The crankcase is marked Miles on one side and ED (Electronic Developments) on the other.
I've read the ED story on Ron's Model Engine News site. That, and the engine test on the Spectra site suggest it was designed and first sold in the mid 1950's but still available in the mid 2000's..
The box contains the paperwork and is titled "Banshee Viking mk4". I've never heard of this before but clearly it's related to the 1950's engine.
Apparently two of these engines were bought by an Australian for a Scale Twin model, that never eventuated. They were then bought by a another club member from his estate, and he gave them to Dave to convert one to C/L. This was done and he received the other as payment.
The converted engine went into a new Ringmaster. I once got to start it, and it was a real beast, but rather fun.
It pulled the model around very well but it's not a F2B engine and as far as I know it's still hanging on the wall of his shed..
I'm going to stick this one on ebay.
Can anyone fill in the details? Who or what was Banshee?
Last edited by qazimoto; 08-13-2015 at 05:21 PM.
08-18-2015, 07:27 PM
#2
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Upper HuttWellington, NEW ZEALAND
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This looks a bit 'mongrel-ish' to my eyes-the original Miles went through two Marks-with and without exhaust stacks, as a Basil Miles production.....but sold exclusively through ED. Subsequently ED manufactured and sold it as the 'Viking' from the 70s into the early 80s (though how many were produced-and how long they were actually manufactured for-is anyone's guess...info on how many versions of the last model existed is virtually non existent-I believe two (excluding marine conversions). The one shown above is definitely a late model ED made one....BUT....the prop driver is wrong-the exhaust stack seems to be a separate item machined from bar and retrofitted to a stackless case, and the carb has been messed about with-and its definitely not a standard Viking cylinder head either! As for 'Banshee' I'm guessing that it may have been intended for a MODEL of that name-SIG do a Banshee stunter for .29-.40 so my guess would be that.....I doubt there's any connection at all with the word 'Banshee' and 'ED' at all....here are some Mk2 Vikings from my files.....stretching things a bit I suppose you could argue that the Mk2 Viking is the 4th production version of the Miles Special....
ChrisM
'ffkiwi'
ChrisM
'ffkiwi'
