Dodo


 * For the character in Grand Theft Auto 2, see here.

The Dodo is a small plane appearing in both Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Description
In general, the GTA III rendition has short, stubby wings that appear to have been sawed off at the mid-point in order to make it virtually impossible to fly (hence the name, Dodo), while the GTA San Andreas rendition features a complete wing span. It strongly resembles an older Cessna 152, and is always painted red and white. The Dodo, with or without wings, behaves the same on ground - the faster its propeller spins, more unstable it is.

Winged Dodos are seen flying around in both Liberty City and Vice City, often towing fliers in the latter case. They can be shot down with rockets, earning the player an instant 3-star wanted level.

GTA III and GTA Liberty City Stories
As the GTA III rendition of the controllable Dodo evidently features shorter wings, the plane is considerably difficult to control; often, a normal pitch or roll may send the plane plummeting out of control, and the thrust of the engine alone cannot be relied on to aid in lift. GTA III's Dodo is thus intended to only remain in the air for short periods of time, but it is possible for the plane to continuously stay airborne.

Takeoff alone requires an unorthodox method of "sling shooting" the aircraft upwards using the suspension of the plane's front landing gear by performing the following:


 * 1) While accelerating down a long, flat surfacing, keep the elevators down, gradually increasing the downward pitch of the plane.
 * 2) When the pitch of the plane is low enough that sparks from the propeller scraping the ground are visible and can be heard, release the elevator. The plane should lift off and fly proper.
 * 3) The player is required to continuously hold on to the plane's acceleration to ensure smooth flying.

The Dodo will continuously be in phugoid when in flight. After flying a certain distance, the Dodo is expected to pitch downwards, but will soon pitch upwards again after gaining momentum and lift from the fall, repeating the same drop-rise sequence over again. From takeoff onwards, the player must be wary of the pitch of the plane, doing their best to level the Dodo to ensure the plane does not ascend or descend too quickly, as it will result in more violent fluctuations in flight and increases the risk of crashing. Rolling (steering) of the Dodo must also be done with care by softly tapping the directional controls of the plane instead of holding them, which results in violent rolling and leading to the plane dropping from the sky.

If controlled properly, the Dodo can reach great heights, even flying over skyscrapers (see this video). The Dodo may also be used to reach inaccessible parts of the city, such as the Ghost Town, or the Easter egg text on the edge of the radar's map.

In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, the same Dodo as the one in GTA III is obtainable through a third party mods. However, it has no acceleration and therefore is useless as it never moves.

GTA San Andreas
The Dodo in GTA San Andreas, with a complete wing span and full functionality, is far greater stability and control, and has an engine far more reliable in keeping the plane airborne (using Flying School methods, rather than the GTA3 method). However, with a range of superior aircraft available in the game, the Dodo remains an undesirable option, being one of the slowest planes in game. The Dodo is not seen flying in the skies.

Prominent appearances in missions
In GTA III two of Donald Love's missions involve the Dodo, A Drop In The Ocean requires you to follow a Dodo in a boat and pick up the package it drops in the bay, and the other, Grand Theft Aero, requires you to enter the same Dodo (parked in a hangar) to retrieve another package. Another mission, S.A.M. (for Asuka Kasen), requires you to shoot one down with a rocket and collect the cargo it was carrying from the wreckage.

In GTA San Andreas, during the mission "Freefall" you must fly a Dodo above and behind a Shamal jet in which some Forelli hitmen are being transported, to do a hit for Salvatore Leone.

Locations
GTA III
 * In the green hangar north of Francis International Airport (only after Grand Theft Aero)
 * In the southwest hangar in Francis International Airport
 * In the east end of the runway in Francis International Airport
 * In Portland Import/Export Garage (once it is completed)

GTA San Andreas
 * In the east side of Los Santos International Airport, near the entrance
 * Southeast of the main circle with grass in Easter Bay International Airport in San Fierro
 * All around the west side of Las Venturas Airport

Trivia

 * The Dodo was meant to appear in GTA IV, because of the handling line being still in the game's files.