- "Instantly recognizable to any connoisseur of military-themed action movies, the Valkyrie has more Vinewood credits to its name than Jack Howitzer. One of the few survivors of the 1960s war effort that the American government is still willing to invest in."
- ―Warstock Cache & Carry description.
The Buckingham Valkyrie (pronounced Valk-er-ee) is a military transport helicopter featured in Grand Theft Auto Online as part of the Heists Update.
Design
Grand Theft Auto Online
The Valkyrie is mainly based on the Bell UH-1Y Venom, a four-bladed modernized version of the American Bell UH-1 Iroquois "Huey", utilized by the United States Marines. However, unlike the UH-1Y, the exhausts are very close to each other, similarly to a Bell 212/412 and features a Fenestron tail rotor from a Eurocopter Dauphin or Kamov Ka-60, which has a similar empennage. The helicopter lacks side doors, though cockpit doors are still present (where the number 23 is seen).
The helicopter features an armament of port and starboard mounted 7.62mm GAU-17/A miniguns that are usable by passengers, as well as an explosive four-barrel gatling gun that can be used by anyone occupying the copilot' seat.
By default, it can spawn in a dark green, black or grey color with black nose and features one of three decals on the same nose;
- a white spade
- a pinup model with the caption "Miss Zancudo"
- a pinup model bending over with the caption "Come & take it"
U.S. Army and "N-LS5513" decals are also found on the side of the helicopter. It is operated by both Merryweather Security and the United States Army.
Entering this vehicle gives the player a Sniper Rifle, with 10 rounds.
Current Design Gallery
Performance
Grand Theft Auto Online
- Handling
The Valkyrie has an above average speed at 140 knots, making it slower than the Swift but slightly faster than the Buzzard. Similar to the Buzzard, while flying forwards the Valkyrie also descends at full throttle. It is quite maneuverable and is capable of turning quickly, which is useful in aerial engagements when the Valkyrie's port and starboard gunners need to aim. While flying forwards with full power and fully pitched forwards, the helicopter will descend very slowly. The helicopter also has a slight rightward list, which affects the aircraft during all modes of flight.
- Defense
Like many aircraft, the Valkyrie suffers from having unupgradeable armor. Its engines will begin to smoke after a short amount of small arms fire to any part of its fuselage or instantly destroyed by a single grenade, bomb or rocket. The explosive rounds from the Heavy Sniper Mk II can make short work of the helicopter, needing only two or three hits to destroy it.
While the helicopter has good maneuverability, it is still rather large, leaving little room for error while avoiding enemy homing missiles. While more difficult than with a Buzzard, it is still feasible against the Homing Launcher.
Despite the aircraft's model having a Fenestron tail rotor, the rotor can still be shot and destroyed, unlike the Frogger, FH-1 Hunter, or Akula.
It is worth noting that the Valkyrie used in the The Humane Labs Raid has armor plating taken from the previously acquired Insurgent LAPV, and therefore is capable of taking multiple direct rockets (around 5-6) before being destroyed. This armor, however, is not present on the purchased variant.
- Weaponry
Alone, the pilot cannot control any of the crew-operated weapons, but with a well-coordinated team, the Valkyrie can pose a major threat to any air or ground units.
- Miniguns: The two miniguns on the Valkyrie's port and starboard sides have a fast rate of fire and are capable of destroying an unarmored vehicle within a few seconds of sustained fire. The miniguns have a very long firing range and can hit targets from approximately 1500 feet away but suffer from reduced accuracy at range. They also feature a very wide turning and elevation radius, being able to fire almost directly 180 degrees facing forward or backward, albeit having poor gun depression. If there is only one player manning the miniguns, that player can press right on the D-Pad, or H on PC, to switch between the port and starboard miniguns. The recoil from firing the miniguns will push the helicopter in the opposite direction.
- Autocannon: Manned by the co-pilot, it fires explosive 40mm rounds, though at a significantly slower rate of fire - a compromise remedied by the gun's powerful destructive capability. When the first officer is utilizing the autocannon, the game displays a camera view, similar to other helicopters fitted with nose-mounted cameras. In this state, the gunner can aim where they need to shoot and can decimate vehicles and other players easily, due to its explosive ammo. The pilot can also see the camera view when used, in order to verify the first officer´s targets or locate enemies. Range however, is an issue, as the cannon can only fire to about 700 feet away from the vehicle.
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 | 103 / 165 / 89 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6500 / 14330 | 100 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 4 Seconds | 162 / 261 / 141 | 350 / 400 | Twin turboshaft engines, 4-bladed rotor | Middle/Rear | Cannot be observed | Cannot be observed |
 | Speed | |||||
| Acceleration | ||||||
| Braking | ||||||
| Agility | ||||||
| Damage (per shot) [?] | Fire Rate [?] | Range (m / ft) | Ammo Specifications/ Capacity | Reload Mechanism | Reload Speed [?] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (24) 22.5 | 0.25 | 200 / 656 | 750 | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Explosive | ~ 240 RPM | Cannot be determined | Single gun (unlimited ammo) | N/A | N/A |
| Damage | 30% | |||
| Fire Rate/Speed | 60% | ||||
| Accuracy | 40% | ||||
| Range | 60% | ||||
| Clip Size | 50% | ||||
| Damage (per shot) [?] | Fire Rate [?] | Range (m / ft) | Ammo Specifications/ Capacity | Reload Mechanism | Reload Speed [?] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (24) 22.5 | 0.05 | 500 / 1640 | 750 | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | ~ 1,200 RPM | Cannot be determined | Box magazine (unlimited ammo) | N/A | N/A |
| Damage | 30% | |||
| Fire Rate/Speed | 98% | ||||
| Accuracy | 10% | ||||
| Range | 65% | ||||
| Clip Size | 100% | ||||
Modifications
Grand Theft Auto Online
| This article or section refers to "enhanced version" content in the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC renditions of Grand Theft Auto V and/or Grand Theft Auto Online, that is absent on the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 versions. For a complete list of the features of the "enhanced" version of Grand Theft Auto V, please see here. |  |
Upon being converted into a personal aircraft, the Valkyrie can be repainted with a primary color for the body and a secondary color for the nose.
The player cannot remove the random nose decal, although the player can request another Valkyrie through Pegasus until they find a version without any decals on. However, due to a bug, the decal will despawn from the vehicle once the player switches servers.
| Category | Modification |
|---|---|
| Respray | Main article: Los Santos Customs/Respray Colors |
| Remove | Remove Aircraft |
Image Gallery
Grand Theft Auto Online
Add a photo to this galleryVariants
| This article or section refers to "enhanced version" content in the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC renditions of Grand Theft Auto V and/or Grand Theft Auto Online, that is absent on the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 versions. For a complete list of the features of the "enhanced" version of Grand Theft Auto V, please see here. | |
Valkyrie MOD.0Grand Theft Auto Online |
 (Rear quarter view) |
|
Added in the Executives and Other Criminals update, a cannon-less variant named the Valkyrie MOD.0 is used in the Adversary Modes, Extraction. It isalso featured numerous times during The Doomsday Heist. |
Prominent Appearances in Missions
Grand Theft Auto Online
- Heists
- A metallic black variant is stolen from Merryweather Security in Humane Raid - Valkyrie.
- Used in the heist finale The Humane Labs Raid. As mentioned before, this specific Valkyrie has more health compared to normal ones.
- Adversary Modes
- Appears as a vehicle in the Adversary Mode Extraction.
- Freemode Events
- Can appear as a Kill List or Kill List Competitive vehicle. In both cases, it will require another player to use the on-board weapons.
- May appear as a random vehicle in the Freemode Event Moving Target.
- Supplies
- May appear during Resupply jobs for Gunrunning, specifically in a Merryweather Convoy. This one will use the nose gatling gun, unlike all others.
- Special Cargo
- May appear as a transport vehicle during a Special Cargo Steal Mission involving shooting down a convoy of them to retrieve cargo.
- Mobile Operations
- It is one of the enemy choppers during Half-track Bully and Work Dispute
- Doomsday Heist
- Setup: Escort ULP - Cliffford Mercenaries pursuit ULP using Valkyries, and the players operating the Chernobog must shoot them down to defend ULP and his Havok.
- Setup: Barrage - Valkyries appear as escort vehicles protecting the Cargobob carrying the Barrage.
- Dispatch Services
- Dispatch II - Can be used as a getaway vehicle once the target is killed. An enemy Valkyrie may also appear.
Locations
Grand Theft Auto Online
- Available from Warstock Cache & Carry for $2,850,000 after The Humane Labs Raid heist is complete, and will be available through Pegasus Lifestyle Management.
- After the Cunning Stunts: Special Vehicle Circuit update, the vehicle is now available to players who have not completed the heist at the "full" cost of $3,790,500.
- Delivered by Pegasus Lifestyle Management. It will only spawn in dark gray.
- In the enhanced version, it is classed as a Medium vehicle when stored in a Hangar.
Trivia
General
- The Valkyrie's textures are named "Napalm". This is likely the beta name of the vehicle.[1]
- Napalm is a flammable liquid consisting of gasoline, commonly used in warfare. This is a clear reference to the UH-1 Iroquois' use during the Vietnam War, where Napalm was infamously used.
- A Valkyrie is a female entity in Norse mythology who chooses those who may die in battle and those who may live.
- The name of the helicopter is also a reference to the beach attack sequence from "Apocalypse Now", where a US Air Cavalry unit attacks a Vietcong village in mostly Bell UH-1 helicopters (the predecessor of the UH-1Y Venom on which the Valkyrie is based on) while they play Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries on their helicopter. The Buzzard's real-life counterpart also appears in the movie.
- Furthermore, the description refers to the Valkyrie as a "survivor from the 1960s war effort", and Humane Raid - Valkyrie's job image depicts a sand/tan Valkyrie flying through an ablaze backdrop, as reference to how the UH-1 Iroquois was widely used by the US Air Force and US Army during the Vietnam War.
Grand Theft Auto Online
- When either the port or starboard gunner are aiming, the barrel starts to spin and is able to shoot instantly when spinning at full speed, while other players hears as if the gun makes a short delay before the weapon's firing sound is heard. This is just an audio delay, and not a result of a lag.
- Even though the Valkyrie has a fenestron tail just like the Frogger:
- Running into the tail rotor while it is spinning will result in death.
- The tail rotor can be damaged or destroyed by gunfire.
- The remote camera is actually located just in front of the nose, with the autocannon being static all the time. However, the same briefly moves when the copilot enters the vehicle or leaves the remote camera view.
- The Valkyrie on Rockstar Games Social Club appears to have no front nose decals, unlike the in-game appearance. Also, instead of side turrets, the side stub wings has what appears to be mounted miniguns and rocket launchers.
- The gatling gun's sound seems to be a higher-pitched version of the TBoGT APC's turret sound. Also, the fire rate of both weapons are nearly identical.
- It appears that since the Doomsday Heist update, the Valkyrie will now attack the players with the explosive cannon, making it difficult to take aim and shoot it, since it will also hover directly above the player, most notably seen in the bunker resupply mission involving a Merryweather convoy, where a Valkyrie will be escorting the convoy, flying above it. As soon as the player opens fire on the convoy, if they're on the ground, the Valkyrie will fly right above them and attack with everything it got; side miniguns like before, and now with the front explosive turret as well.
- The same issue is present on the Mobile Operations missions Half-track Bully and Work Dispute, where they may attack players as soon as they appear and gets within range. Even the Oppressors from the second one struggle to outrun the superior accuracy of the gunners, often with players being dismounted and easily killed.
See Also
- Valkyrie MOD.0 - Cannon-less variant.
- FH-1 Hunter - Another attack helicopter, which like the Valkyrie, has a co-pilot cannon, released as a continuation of the Smugglers Run Update for Grand Theft Auto Online.
- Annihilator - Another attack helicopter featured in Grand Theft Auto IV, and Grand Theft Auto Online.
- Buzzard Attack Chopper - Another light attack helicopter featured in The Ballad of Gay Tony and Grand Theft Auto V.
- Savage - Another gunship attack helicopter featured in Grand Theft Auto Online as a part of the Heists Update.
- Hunter - Another gunship attack helicopter featured in the 3D Universe.
- Sea Sparrow - Another light attack helicopter seen in the 3D universe.
- Armadillo and Air Ambulance - Two emergency helicopters with a similar appearance.
References
- ↑ File Names: napalm_interior, napalm_liveries.
