Oghal-pattern Banshee

This article is about the Banshee introduced in Halo: Combat Evolved. For other Banshee variants, see here.

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

Design details
The Type-26A Banshee bears heavy resemblance to the similar Type-26C model, albeit with some minor changes. Visually, the Type-26A's most notable distinction is the iridescent red canopy in place of the green found on Type-26C models. This canopy similarly leaves the pilot partially exposed (particularly the feet and lower legs). The wings are connected at their ends with an antigravity pod to allow for flight.

The craft has two wing canards, each of which terminates in a boosted gravity propulsion drive including a jet and an anti-gravity pod; these leave a vaporous exhaust trail behind the Banshee. The craft is capable of achieving a velocity of over 100 km/h. The Banshee is capable of performing complex maneuvers such as aileron rolls and flips. The Banshee is also capable of hovering, though this ability is not often used.

Armament
The Banshee sports two weapon pods attached underneath the fuselage; each pod contains a Class-2 plasma cannon and a Class-3 fuel rod cannon. The plasma cannons are deadly to infantry; one bolt can instantly kill a lightly armored target. Armored targets such as the M808 Scorpion MBT can withstand only a few bolts before being destroyed.

Variants
The Type-26A design pattern has a number of known variants. Differences in design variation can be attributed to specialised functionality and aesthetic preference, and can be used to identify specific military units.


 * Type-26AZ Banshee: The T-26AZ was used in select artifact-hunting fleets. The significance of its design is opaque to human researchers.
 * Sesa's T-26AZ: Some T-26AZ were deployed alongside Sesa 'Refumee's contingent on the gas mine over Threshold in 2552, where they removed the Covenant manufactured cowlings from them, revealing the Forerunner mechanisms beneath, and redesigned them, so they sport the colors of Sanghelios. These Banshees can be equipped with energy shielding.

Banished
A modified Banshee variant utilized by the Banished. Incorporates design details more closely related to an aerial predator hailing from the Jiralhanae homeworld of Doisac. Many of the Banshees in Atriox's fleets have been modified with brutal and experimental weaponry, usually designed to inflict maximum damage from both a physical and psychological perspective.
 * Unstable Banished Type-26A Banshee: This is a variant of the Banished Type-26A Banshee that is fitted with canisters that cause the vehicle to explode violently upon destruction.

Production notes

 * The Type-26C Banshee is the Banshee design introduced in Halo 3 and later featured in Halo 3: ODST. The design was not given a formal designation difference until a 2015 Halo Waypoint universe entry.
 * In the cover art and key art for Halo 5: Guardians, T-26As can be seen flying; however, they are not present in the final game, instead having been replaced by the Type-54 Banshee in the game.

Trivia

 * 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.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: Combat Evolved
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo 2
 * Halo: Uprising
 * Halo Wars
 * Halo: Evolutions
 * The Return
 * Halo: Blood Line
 * ''Halo: Fall of Reach
 * ''Covenant
 * ''Invasion


 * Halo: Spartan Assault
 * Halo: Escalation
 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Hunt the Truth
 * Halo: Spartan Strike
 * Halo 5: Guardians
 * Know Your Enemy
 * Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo
 * Halo Wars 2
 * Halo: Rise of Atriox
 * Halo: Collateral Damage
 * Halo: Fireteam Raven
 * Become
 * Carry On
 * Forever We Fight