Not to be confused with the Akuma, a sport motorcycle in The Ballad of Gay Tony, Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online.
Please note: This aircraft is excluded from Pegasus Lifestyle Management and must be stored in a personal hangar.
The Buckingham[1] Akula is a stealth gunship attack helicopter featured in Grand Theft Auto Online as part of The Doomsday Heist update.
Influence[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
The Akula appears to be primarily influenced by the Boeing–Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche, seen in the overall fuselage, tail boom and Fenestron tail rotor. It borrows some elements from the Kamov Ka-58 "Black Ghost", a model kit designed and produced by the company Zvezda, notably in the front shape, cockpit layout and underbody stealth equipment. The side windows and tail fins are reminiscent of the Kamov Ka-50 “Black Shark,” while the four-blade rotors are similar to those of the Eurocopter Tiger. The nose and electro-optical sensors bear a resemblance to the Bell AH-1Z Viper, and the weaponry below the nose and side vents are inspired by its predecessor, the Bell AH-1 Cobra. The fenestron tail structure is akin to that of the Kawasaki OH-1, however, with a tail boom having a more angular design akin to the aforementioned Comanche.
The vehicle is equipped with two three-barreled miniguns on the folding stub wings and a single three-barreled minigun turret under the nose. The front minigun resembles the 20mm M197 Vulcan Gatling gun, while the ones on the folding stub wings are closer to the XM301 Gatling gun. It can also have a second minigun on the nose turret, similar to the Kamov Ka-58, bombs, and additional stub wings for missile pods, resembling those on the RAH-66. The barrage missile pods are based on the Telson 22 pods for SNEB missiles, while the homing missile are modeled after the AGM-114 Hellfire.
Design[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
The helicopter is depicted with a long and narrow fuselage, having an angular nose with the sighting device on the end and a large cabin with two top-hinged doors for access, as well as circular lamps on either side and the corresponding hatches for the main landing gear. The middle section of the aircraft is rather large and features various intakes and vents around the engine compartment, along with the folding stub wings on the lower sides. The tail setup is very similar to that of the FH-1 Hunter. The tail boom and empennage are narrower in comparison to the rest of the helicopter, having the corresponding stabilizers, fenestron tail rotor and tall vertical stabilizer, as well as a dedicated compartment for the tail landing gear. Being of Russian origin, the Akula features various markings similar to that of the V-65 Molotok, including "RF1 АКУЛА" markings on the tail boom.
The interior of the aircraft is similar to the one from the FH-1 Hunter, having various green screens with animated "Lazer" displays and numerous switches around, as well as circular lens that are part of the sighting device on the nose. The occupants sit in a sedan-like layout, where the pilot and the co-pilot sit in the front row and the passengers in the rear one.
The primary colour of the aircraft is applied on most of the body, while the secondary one is applied on part of the nose, the sighting device, the front turret, the rotor hub, the lower surfaces of the fuselage and tail fins, and the main gear frames. It uses the same wheel design as the Hunter, being industrial wheels derived from vehicles like the Mule, the Benson and the Phantom.
Current Design Gallery[]
Performance[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
Vehicle[]
The helicopter is relatively fast, agile, and has similar handling to the FH-1 Hunter. According to Rockstar Games Social Club, the Akula currently holds the fastest acceleration and best agility records, however it is still barely surpassed by the Volatus in top speed. Handling wise, the Akula is extremely responsive, requiring minor inputs to smoothly control the aircraft. The Akula has the unique ability to perform an aileron roll, if either roll input is held while maintaining significant forward momentum. If the roll is not completed, the helicopter may begin falling out of the sky if the pilot does not recover.
The vehicle features two cameras with three vision modes: regular, thermal vision or night vision, which can be operated by the two rear passengers. While the Akula's weapons cannot be used while in stealth mode, the cameras can still be operated, allowing the operators to spot targets for the pilot.
The Akula is powered by twin turboshaft engines, which share the same engine and rotor sound as the Savage, the Buzzard and its Attack variant, appearing to be a higher-pitched variation of the one from the Maverick, with a slightly faster pacing.
Defense[]
The Akula serves as a versatile transport helicopter with strong armour and superior maneuverability, allowing it to evade threats such as homing rockets, which can also be outrun by the Akula's very high speed. With maximum armour upgrades, the helicopter will take eighteen Heavy Sniper rounds before exploding and can withstand five explosive rounds from the Heavy Sniper Mk II. The helicopter can survive two direct hits to the fuselage from homing missiles and a third one will destroy it. The helicopter's lock-on "hit box" is midway down the tail of the helicopter. This can make avoiding missiles while flying straight forward more difficult, compared to if it was centered on the engine of the aircraft. In addition, just like the Hunter, the Akula's rotor blades have a separate health pool. This potentially allows the Akula to survive up to four missiles, if two hit the helicopter's blades and two hit its main body.
The most notable feature of the vehicle is its stealth mode, which allows the entire crew to navigate around the map without being spotted by enemy radars, making it useful for surprise attacks, bounty evasions, and getaways. Enabling stealth mode also reduces the pilot's wanted level to 2 stars if the pilot has 3 or more stars. However, its weapons are disabled for the pilot and the copilot during the stealth mode. In addition, cloaking the Akula does not protect it from a Galaxy Super Yacht's defense system, the Weazel News TV spectator channel or being spotted by the Orbital Cannon surveillance system. Also, most homing weapons are still able to lock onto it. Combined with the lack of countermeasures, the pilot must be careful or skillful enough to dodge enemy missiles.
When stealth mode is enabled, it will hide the aircraft from the minimap along with all items carried by the occupants. These include:
- Biker Business Supplies, Gunrunning Supplies, Special Cargo, Air Freight Cargo, Heist Prep Equipment.
- Dead Drop and Hot Property briefcase/package.
- Hostile Takeover briefcase.
Weaponry[]
Similar to the Hunter, the Akula features an array of weapons available for use by the pilot and the co-pilot/first officer:
- Machine Gun/Dual MG: the vehicle is equipped with a single .50 caliber Minigun turret, which can be operated by the co-pilot and switches to a camera view similar to the Valkyrie and the FH-1 Hunter. The gun has relatively similar statistics to the Minigun turrets found on land vehicles, having a fire rate of 1,200 rounds per minute and a range of 500 meters/1640 feet, but having a base damage of 30 (for reference, the Hunter's .50 Cal Machine Gun has a base damage of 167). While aiming coverage is good, the turret is not stabilized like the aforementioned helicopters. As a result, the gunner's aim will be disrupted by the pilot maneuvering the aircraft. By default it comes with a single gun, but can be upgraded with dual guns for a higher fire rate of 1,500 rounds per minute.
- Machine Gun: the helicopter is equipped with two .50 caliber Miniguns operated in the same way as in the Buzzard Attack Chopper, having longer range (300 meters/984 feet), but suffering a significantly reduced firing rate (450 RPM for each Minigun). While the bullets individually deal the same damage, the slower firing rate significantly reduces the overall damage output. This, paired with the unsteady nature of the Akula's handling, makes using these weapons difficult unless when dogfighting another helicopter. When not in stealth, the wings are opened up to align the guns and when entering stealth mode, the wings will fold back to the vehicle. If the wings are damaged enough, they will start dangling and the helicopter cannot enable/disable stealth mode.
- Unlike most aircraft, the player must choose to equip either barrage missiles (technically rockets) or homing missiles;
- Missiles (Barrage): The barrage missile pods behave similarly to those of the FH-1 Hunter, sharing the same range, damage, and the smaller blast radius. These missiles can travel 400 meters/1312 feet and can fly for three seconds before detonating. The splash radius is three meters compared to the homing missiles’ five meters. However, the Akula can only fire up to four missiles in a barrage, compared to the Hunter's seven. After firing a full volley, the pilot must wait for a three second cooldown, one second shorter than the Hunter's. If a full barrage is not fired, the pilot must either switch weapons or fire the remaining missiles before the "reload" cooldown is triggered.
- Missiles (Homing): Functioning much like most other homing missiles in most regards, these anti-vehicle weapons also have no "reload" cooldown (like the FH-1 Hunter, Savage, or Pyro). In addition, the Akula's homing missiles have the same missile tracking as the Homing Launcher, making them more likely to hit their target. It cannot be toggled to homing off, forcing the pilot to lock-on to targets. These missiles have a 300 meter/984 foot lock-on range, and can also fly for five seconds before detonating and can travel 540 meters/1772 feet.
- The vehicle has the option for installing bombs, providing heavy firepower against ground targets. There are four different Bomb choices: Explosive, Incendiary, Gas and Cluster;
- The Explosive option has high damage over targets from all ranges, meaning any target caught in the "edges" of the blast radius receives the same damage as in the "center".
- The Incendiary option creates a trail of fire similar to the Molotov Cocktail, burning the targets for constant damage. Although the bombs are powerful at the center, it causes less damage on the "edges".
- The Gas option causes a noxious effect on players and NPCs on impact, similar to the Tear Gas. It has a slightly larger blast radius than the standard bomb, but is unable to damage vehicles. The gas lasts for around 25 seconds.
- The Cluster option creates a smaller explosion than the standard one on impact, but small clusters spread within its radius, allowing for greater damage over a single armored target.
GTA Online Overview[]
| Take-Off Speed (0-60 knots in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh / knots) |
Vertical Climb/ Descent Rate (ft/min) |
Engine Type | Engine Location | Mass (kg / lbs) |
Fuel Tank Size (litres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 99.4 / 160 / 86.4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8000 / 17637 | 100 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | Twin Turboshaft engines, 4-bladed rotor | Middle | Cannot be observed | Cannot be observed |
| Damage (per shot) [?] |
Fire Rate [?] | Range (m / ft) [?] |
Ammo Specifications/ Capacity |
Reload Mechanism | Reload Speed [?] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (24) 22.5 |
0.08 (750 RPM) | 300 / 984.2 | 750 | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | 900 RPM | 300 / 984.2 | Unlimited | N/A | N/A |
 |
Damage | 30% 30% | |||
| Fire Rate/Speed | 60% 60% | ||||
| Accuracy | 40% 40% | ||||
| Range | 60% 60% | ||||
| Clip Size | 50% 50% | ||||
| Damage (per shot) [?] |
Fire Rate [?] | Range (m / ft) [?] |
Ammo Specifications/ Capacity |
Reload Mechanism | Reload Speed [?] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (24) 22.5 |
0.05 (1200 RPM) | 500 / 1640.4 | 750 | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | 1200 RPM | 500 / 1640.4 | Unlimited | N/A | N/A |
|
Damage | 30% 30% | |||
| Fire Rate/Speed | 60% 60% | ||||
| Accuracy | 40% 40% | ||||
| Range | 60% 60% | ||||
| Clip Size | 50% 50% | ||||
| Damage (per shot) [?] |
Fire Rate [?] | Range (m / ft) [?] |
Ammo Specifications/ Capacity |
Reload Mechanism | Reload Speed [?] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (24) 22.5 |
0.08 (750 RPM) | 500 / 1640.4 | 750 | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | 1500 RPM | 500 / 1640.4 | Unlimited | N/A | N/A |
|
Damage | 30% 30% | |||
| Fire Rate/Speed | 60% 60% | ||||
| Accuracy | 40% 40% | ||||
| Range | 60% 60% | ||||
| Clip Size | 50% 50% | ||||
| Damage (per shot) [?] |
Fire Rate [?] | Range (m / ft) [?] |
Ammo Specifications/ Capacity |
Reload Mechanism | Reload Speed [?] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 0.15 (400 RPM) | 300 / 984.2 (Lock-on & Weapon) | 1 (20) | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | 400 RPM | 400 / 1312.3 | Unlimited | N/A | 3 seconds |
|
Damage | 0% 0% | |||
| Fire Rate/Speed | 0% 0% | ||||
| Accuracy | 10% 10% | ||||
| Range | 100% 100% | ||||
| Clip Size | 1% 1% | ||||
| Damage (per shot) [?] |
Fire Rate [?] | Range (m / ft) [?] |
Ammo Specifications/ Capacity |
Reload Mechanism | Reload Speed [?] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 2 (30 RPM) | 300 / 984.2 (Lock-on & Weapon) | 1 (20) | N/A | 2 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | 60 RPM | 300 / 984.2 (Lock-on) 540 / 1771.6 (Weapon) |
4 per launcher (unlimited) | N/A | 2 seconds (per launcher) |
|
Damage | 0% 0% | |||
| Fire Rate/Speed | 0% 0% | ||||
| Accuracy | 10% 10% | ||||
| Range | 100% 100% | ||||
| Clip Size | 1% 1% | ||||
Rockstar Games Social Club[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
Modifications[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
| Category | Modification | Cost | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armor | No Armor | $1,000 | |
| Armor Upgrade 20% | $7,500 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 40% | $12,000 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 60% | $20,000 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 80% | $35,000 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 100% | $50,000 | ||
| Engine | EMS Upgrade, Level 1 | $9,000 | |
| EMS Upgrade, Level 2 | $12,500 | ||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 3 | $18,000 | ||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 4 | $33,500 | ||
| Bombs | None | $700 | |
| Explosive | $150,000 | ||
| Incendiary | $195,000 | ||
| Gas | $260,000 | ||
| Cluster | $335,000 | ||
| Handling | Stock Handling | $1,000 | |
| Smooth Handling | $20,000 | ||
| Sport Handling | $27,000 | ||
| Race Handling | $35,000 | ||
| Livery | None | $11,400 | |
| Basic Camo | $18,240 | ||
| Zancudo Camo | $19,380 | ||
| Sprayed Camo | $20,520 | ||
| 3 Color Outline | $21,660 | ||
| 90s Sandbox | $22,800 | ||
| Modern 5 Color | $23,370 | ||
| Arid Theater | $23,939 | ||
| Winter Camo | $24,510 | ||
| Urban Warrior | $25,080 | ||
| Nature Reserve* | $25,650 | ||
| Naval Battle* | $26,220 | ||
| Urban Geometric* | $26,789 | ||
| Coyote Geometric* | $27,360 | ||
| Large Geometric* | $27,930 | ||
| Naval Geometric* | $28,500 | ||
| Desert Fractal* | $29,070 | ||
| Urban Fractal* | $29,639 | ||
| Large Digital* | $30,210 | ||
| Medium Digital* | $30,780 | ||
| Small Digital* | $31,350 | ||
| Skulls | Unreleased | ||
| Knuckleduster | Unreleased | ||
| Conveyor | Unreleased | ||
| Stars | Unreleased | ||
| Tartan | FREE[3] | ||
| Galaxy | FREE[4] | ||
| Trees Camo | FREE[5] | ||
| Candy Cane | FREE[6] | ||
| It's a Wrap | FREE[7] | ||
| Deck the Halls | FREE[8] | ||
| Pink & Green Camo | Unreleased | ||
| Yellow & Blue Camo | Unreleased | ||
| Orange Shade Camo | Unreleased | ||
| Blue & Green Camo | Unreleased | ||
| Hunting Camo | FREE[9] | ||
| Blue Tartan | Unreleased | ||
| Santo Capra Coins | Unreleased | ||
| Sessanta Nove Monogram | Unreleased | ||
| Sessanta Nove Multi-color | Unreleased | ||
| Dolla Dolla | FREE[10] | ||
| Respray | Main article: Vehicle Customization in GTA V/Respray Colors | - | |
| Primary Weapons | .50 Cal Minigun Turret | $700 | |
| Dual .50 Cal Minigun Turret | $300,000 | ||
| Secondary Weapons | No Secondary Weapons | $700 | |
| Mounted Missile Barrage | $300,000 | ||
| Mounted Homing Missiles | $325,000 | ||
| Sell | Sell Vehicle | ||
Gallery[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
Video[]
Prominent Appearances in Gameplay[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
The Doomsday Heist[]
- The vehicle appears in the preparation mission "Akula", where it must be stolen after acquiring its flight data.
- It is later used in the setup mission "Server Farm", used by the crew to infiltrate the NOOSE Headquarters and escape later on.
- One is provided in the setup mission "Rescue Agent 14", used as getaway vehicles for the crew and Agent 14. If there are more than two players, two Akulas are provided.
- Several Akulas can be seen in the Doomsday Heist Act III finale, The Doomsday Scenario, attempting to defend Avon Hertz.
The Criminal Enterprises[]
- One is provided by Agent 14 during the "Flight Data" Bunker Resupply mission.
Adversary Modes[]
- Air Quota (vehicle list 2)
Locations[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
- Available for purchase on Warstock Cache & Carry for $4,500,000 or $3,375,000 (trade price after completing the Server Farm setup mission as the heist leader). This will require a Facility and a Hangar.
- Prior to the pricing adjustments made with the Los Santos Drug Wars update, the vehicle cost $3,704,050, with a trade price of $2,785,000.
- It is classed as a Medium vehicle.
Changes[]
| Update | Change(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto Online PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC | ||
| 1.42 | Added Akula. Available for purchase. | |
| 1.44 | Updated Akula. Corrected camera functionality when operated by co-pilots and passengers.[11] Also made minor model, modifications and livery changes to the Akula.[12] | |
| 1.46 | Updated Akula. Homing Missiles now operate correctly when installed with the .50 Minigun option.[13] | |
Trivia[]
General[]
- "Akula" (АКУЛА) means "shark" in Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian and other Slavic languages. This might be a reference to Ka-50's nickname 'Black Shark'.
- The Akula does not feature any non-aesthetic physical instruments (that display real information), but the pilot can see the airspeed and altitude on the pilot's helmet HUD in first-person view.
- The lights have a road legal cut off pattern, much like a car's headlights, indicating reused textures from some sort of vehicle.
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
- Although the Akula lacks a manufacturer in-game, the patch notes from the Rockstar Support page states it is manufactured by Buckingham.
- A
.yftnode named "countermea" is present on the Akula's model, suggesting that countermeasures had been included during internal tests but never made it into the game.[ref?] - Contrary to what one would expect from a Fenestron tail (which should protect the tail rotor from solid structures), the tail rotor can be still broken if the player scratches the tail with the ground, as there is a non-solid section behind the tail undercarriage.
Bug/Glitches[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
- Camera functions in the Akula would not properly work for the passengers even if they are not in stealth mode. This was corrected in the After Hours update.[11]
- Installing the dual .50 cal miniguns prevents the homing missiles to lock on to targets. This was corrected in the Arena War update.[13]
See Also[]
- Annihilator Stealth - Another stealth gunship attack helicopter added in The Cayo Perico Heist update for Grand Theft Auto Online.
- FH-1 Hunter - Another gunship attack helicopter featured in the Smuggler's Run update for Grand Theft Auto Online.
- Savage - Another gunship attack helicopter featured in the Heists update for Grand Theft Auto Online.
References[]
“ Fixed an issue where the Akula helicopter’s homing missiles would not lock onto targets when certain turret modifications were also applied to the vehicle
|
Seen when parked or when another player is flying an Akula.
