Dodo

"It's not called a Dodo because it's killed more passengers than any other plane in its size class, though that's a sad fact, and a regrettable legacy for this otherwise splendid aircraft. It can't turn, it can barely fly, but it will be able to float if you land it just right."

- Elitás Travel description.

The Dodo is a small airplane appearing in Grand Theft Auto III and in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and a seaplane appearing in the enhanced version of Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online for returning players. It is manufactured by Mammoth in the HD Universe. It is also present in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories although it does not normally appear in-game.

3D Universe
In all of its appearances, the Dodo strongly resembles a or, and is always painted red and white. The Dodo, with or without wings, behaves the same on ground - the faster its propeller spins, the more unstable it is. It can seat only a pilot and a passenger.

In general, the Grand Theft Auto III rendition has short, stubby wings that appear to have been sawed off at the midpoint (it is explained in the story that the Dodo was the plane that dropped packages in A Drop in the Ocean, but had since been seized by federal agents, and was being stripped as part of a warrant to search the plane) in order to make it virtually impossible to fly (hence the name, Dodo), while the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas rendition features a complete wing span.

Like several helicopters, the Dodo appeared in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, but is never used within the game, therefore it cannot be obtained without modifications. It also appears in Grand Theft Auto Advance as a static plane.

Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
"Take to the skies in this powerful and versatile 4-seater aircraft."

- Elitás Travel webpage

In Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online, the Dodo returns as a seaplane, based on a, much like the cut unknown high-wing plane that was found in game files (minus the pontoons). This varies from the traditional Cessna-based design, as the Mammatus now takes that role.

The Dodo has wheels under its pontoons, which allow it to land on both water and land. The first passenger sits on the front passenger seat, while the other two stand on the pontoons, hanging on the side, much like the Granger. These occupants can fire assault rifles, pistols, SMGs, and LMGs. The Dodo also bears the registration “N-L24921”.

3D Universe
As the Grand Theft Auto 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 surface, gradually increase the downward pitch of the plane (usually by holding up on the left analog stick in PS2 version and the "Dodo down" button that is set in the PC version).
 * 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 left analog stick in PS2 version or Dodo down button in PC version. The plane should shoot upward, and the player must quickly stabilize the plane by keeping it level.
 * 3) The player is required to continuously press down on the D-pad or Dodo down button (in PC) to keep the plane level to the horizon and also to ensure smooth flying.



The Dodo will continuously be in when in flight. After flying a certain distance and time (170 seconds to be exact) 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. Because of this, the Dodo can be considered to be closely related to a glider. From takeoff onward, 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. Coincidentally, raising the nose up by pushing "Up" will cause the Dodo to stall and fall out of the sky.

If controlled properly, the Dodo can reach great heights, even flying over skyscrapers. 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 the GTA III rendition, the Dodo was programmed to become unflyable; the Rockstar developers elaborated more on a QA session: "Because we were making a driving and shooting game - even that, as a combination of core gameplay elements, was very, very radical at the time. The Dodo was never meant to be flown very much at all, and it certainly wasn’t grounded as a result of 9/11 – it was just a fun thing that people then went crazy with when they figured out various bugs that let them fly it!"

In Grand Theft Auto Advance, the Dodo is present in the game and can be found at the Francis International Airport; However, as a static plane, it cannot be obtained by the player.

The Dodo in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is one of the smallest planes in the game, only larger than the Cropduster and the Stuntplane. The Dodo has a complete wing span and full functionality, greater stability and control, and has an engine far more reliable in keeping the plane airborne (using Flying School methods, rather than the GTA III method). However, with a range of superior aircraft available in the game, the Dodo remains an undesirable option, being one of the slowest and most underpowered planes in game (the other two being the Skimmer and the Stuntplane) although it is still considerably maneuverable, and remains superior over the Stuntplane. The Dodo is not seen flown by NPCs in the skies of San Andreas and has a different code from that of earlier Grand Theft Auto games.

It is a good airplane for beginners in piloting, taking in account its stability and the fact that it can easily be obtained at the very beginning of the game, being available in Los Santos International Airport (which can be easily accessed by simply jumping over the entrance booth).

Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
This plane is described as being "highly versatile", evidentially because of its ability to take off and land on either water or land thanks to wheeled landing gear in the pontoons. This plane has a short take-off distance, shorter than the Titan and the Cuban 800; this, combined with good acceleration, makes the plane very versatile. It should also be noted that this plane can be driven on some roads (mostly in Sandy Shores) due to its landing gear and relatively high height, which allows the plane to avoid crashing into traffic cars. The airplane is also capable of carrying four passengers: the pilot and the co-pilot ride inside the plane, while the two other passengers hang on the pontoons. The Dodo possesses a top speed comparable to that of the Duster and acceleration on par with the Mammatus. The plane's speed and agility suffer slightly due to the two large pontoons, which add some drag and weight to the airplane.

Like the Duster, the Dodo's engine appears to be a, evidenced by the eight cylinders seen behind the main propeller and mounted around the engine's crankcase.

Grand Theft Auto Online
Upon being converted into a personal aircraft, the Dodo can be repainted with a primary color (which is the entirety of the aircraft that is not covered by the livery) and have one of the four livery sets also available at random as a Pegasus vehicle. However, there is no way to remove the livery set or change its color other than the ones provided by the same.

Grand Theft Auto III

 * Two of Donald Love's missions involve the Dodo: A Drop In The Ocean requires Claude to follow a Dodo in a boat and pick up the package it drops in the bay; the other, Grand Theft Aero, requires Claude to enter the same Dodo (parked in a hangar) to retrieve another package. Another mission, S.A.M. (for Asuka Kasen), requires Claude to shoot one down with a rocket and collect the cargo it was carrying from the wreckage.
 * Import/Export - The Dodo is one of the 23 vehicles wanted for the Portland Island portion of the Import/Export side mission.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

 * In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, during the mission "Freefall", Carl Johnson 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.

Grand Theft Auto V

 * Appears in the random event "Sea Plane", where it is guarded in a coveted cove by a group of random gangsters. The protagonist must steal the plane, either by killing or escaping from the gangsters, including an additional group encountered after leaving the cove.

Bikers

 * Biker Sell Mission - Sea Plane - Used to deliver the products to the buyers.

The Cayo Perico Heist

 * The Cayo Perico Heist - If the player has arrived at the island of Cayo Perico in the Velum 5-Seater, a Dodo might spawn at the airstrip.

Grand Theft Auto 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).

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

 * In the east side of Los Santos International Airport, near the entrance.
 * One appears inside each pair of hangars in the southern part of the Easter Bay Airport in San Fierro, however they are locked until the completion of Learning to Fly.
 * All around the west side of Las Venturas Airport.

Grand Theft Auto V

 * Original version
 * Unavailable, either through exploring or by purchasing.
 * Enhanced version
 * Unavailable, until the requisite random event is completed, after-which it:
 * Appears docked on Lake Vinewood, near Franklin's new house.
 * Appears docked on the Alamo Sea near Galilee.
 * Can be purchased for $500,000 from Elitás Travel.
 * Can be spawned via cheat extinct, or by calling 1-999-3984628.

Grand Theft Auto Online

 * Available for purchase for $500,000 or for free for returning players on Elitás Travel.
 * It is classed as a Medium vehicle when stored in a Hangar.

General

 * The aircraft is named after the, an extinct flightless bird from Mauritius.
 * The cheat code for the Dodo in Grand Theft Auto V, extinct, further references this.
 * The Dodo in Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (as the banner-pulling plane), bears the letters "Y", "M" and "E" at the beginning of the plane's registration number on the tail end of the fuselage, which reads similar to "Why me?".

Grand Theft Auto III

 * The Dodo has abnormal crash mechanics. For example, hitting a sign or light post with one of its wings will cause the Dodo to spin around, often even bouncing it into the air a few feet.
 * According to programming, the Dodo in GTA III is actually a "car" that has been modified to fly (in default.ide, the Dodo's type is set to car, not plane). This is why it has many car-like properties, such as its resilience to high-speed crashes and car-like behavior on the ground. This was changed in the subsequent games.
 * The Dodo can be exported, although it is very difficult to put the Dodo in any export garage. However, the Dodo can be driven as a car to Portland, providing the player keeps it undamaged.
 * The propeller always spins, even if the plane is destroyed. The propeller also resembles a minor-scale of the rotors in the static, unobtainable helicopters in the game.
 * If the player pitches the Dodo upward, and then presses on the brake so the engine decelerates, the Dodo may swing back and start gliding backwards for a short distance.
 * The Dodo seen flying over Liberty City has full sized wings, and is set to "plane" not "car" like the normal Dodo, and will explode violently if shot with a rocket launcher. This kind of Dodo also appears in GTA Vice City, pulling a banner in the latter case. The player will receive a three-star wanted level in GTA III and two in GTA Vice City, but can be up to a four-star wanted level (3 stars in Vice City) upon the explosion. It also shares the in-game name with the normal Dodo.
 * The Dodo's appearance in GTA III could be a reference to the James Bond movie Live and Let Die. In the movie, 007 drives a similar plane (a red and white Cessna 140) through a set of closing hangar doors, resulting in the plane losing both wings at a similar length to those of the Dodo, making it unable to fly.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

 * The model and handling for the normal Dodo still exists in GTA: Vice City. The model remains the same, and the propeller doesn't rotate as the animation for the propeller remains the same, and doesn't match with that of GTA: Vice City 's. It is only obtainable through modding.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

 * It's one of the two planes in GTA: San Andreas (the other being the Beagle) in which passengers can perform drive-bys.

Grand Theft Auto IV

 * The Dodo was meant to appear in Grand Theft Auto IV, as evidenced by its handling line being present in GTA IV's internal files.

Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online

 * The beta Unknown high-wing plane has the same design, but without the pontoons, which implies that in Beta, there was going to be a seaplane variant and a normal variant, much like the Dodo and the Skimmer in the 3D Universe.
 * The Elitás Travel description seems to poke fun at the Dodo's infamous handling in GTA III.

Grand Theft Auto III

 * Once the player has mastered flying the Dodo, which takes time and practice, they can fly anywhere on the map. However, a precaution must be taken into consideration to prevent a ruined flight. The player must avoid flying over unique stunt jumps, as flying over them will trigger a cinematic view (a normality when driving off a particular ramp in a car) and the slow-motion camera will not subside until the player crashes into the ground or ocean, almost certainly resulting in death. Because of the scattered jumps in GTA III, it is imperative for the player to know of all locations to avoid flying over them. This glitch makes flying the Dodo much more of a challenge.

Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online

 * The Dodo may glitch at its Vinewood Hills spawn point, spawning upside down and rendering it impossible to be piloted.
 * The maroon livery set appears to have its registration code partially offset (evidenced by the letter "N" on the left side being partially cut).

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