Type-26BZ Banshee

Type-26BZ Ground Support Aircraft
Production information
Manufacturer:	Assembly Forges (pre-Great Schism); Lodam Armory (post-Covenant War)
Product line:	Banshee
Model:	Type-26BZ
Technical specifications
Length:	7.1 meters (23 ft)
Width:	7.5 meters (25 ft)
Height:	3.6 meters (12 ft)
Mass:	1.3 metric tons (2,900 lb)
Engine(s):	Boosted gravity propulsion drive
Armament:	Two DEML-AW, Plasma Bolt/Diffused (Class-2)s;
Crew:	One pilot
Usage
In service:	Human-Covenant War ; Great Schism ; Post-Covenant War conflicts
Role(s):	Ground support aircraft
Affiliation:	Covenant; Sesa 'Refumee's heretic faction;

This article is about the "Heretic" Banshee introduced in Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer. For other Banshee variants, see here.

The Type-26BZ Ground Support Aircraft (T-26BZ GSA), more commonly known as the Heretic Banshee, is a variant of the Type-26 Banshee commonly employed in Covenant service as a standard aircraft.^[1]

Overview[edit]

Specifications[edit]

Main article: Type-26 Banshee

The Type-26BZ is a specialised "ordained" Banshee built upon the frame of the standard Type-26B Banshee. Like its Type-26AZ counterpart, it features brown-orange panelling and exposed mechanisms, alongside a series of glowing lights not present on the regular Type-26B. The Type-26BZ is otherwise seemingly near-identical in function to standard Type-26B Banshees.

Usage[edit]

The Type-26BZ was the chosen Banshee model of the forces under Loka 'Bandolee, a Sangheili warrior assigned to join Sesa 'Refumee's expedition to the Threshold gas mine.^[1]

Production notes[edit]

The Type-26BZ Banshee is the "heretic" Banshee featured in the multiplayer component of Halo 2: Anniversary - the heretic Banshee seen in the game's campaign mode is the Type-26AZ Banshee. The vehicle behaves identically in-game to the standard Banshee. The design was not given a formal designation difference until a 2015 Halo Waypoint universe entry.^[1]

Trivia[edit]

In Celtic mythology, a banshee is a female spirit who wails for the death of a particular person before they die. Banshees must steal souls from people to continue their existence. The high-pitched sound made by the Covenant Banshee is a reference to this, especially while performing tight maneuvers making it easy to hear them before one sees them. This also fits the theme of Covenant vehicles, with the exceptions of the Excavators, being named after supernatural entities.

Gallery[edit]

The Type-26BZ Banshee.
Another view of the Type-26BZ Banshee.
The Type-26BZ with its hatch open.

List of appearances[edit]

Halo 2: Anniversary (First appearance)

Sources[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Halo Waypoint: Banshee
^ ^a ^b ^c Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 119
^ ^a ^b Halo Legendary Crate - Data Drop #17

[universe-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Halo Waypoint: Banshee

[H4VG-2] Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 119

[LC17-3] Halo Legendary Crate - Data Drop #17

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[2]

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