Dodo

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

The Dodo is a small plane, that appears 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) 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, unsuspecting pitch or roll may send the plane plummeting out of control, and the thrust of the engine alone cannot be relied on to provide 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 a unorthodox method of "sling shooting" the aircraft upwards using the front suspension of the plane by performing the following:

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

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, adjusting the pitch of the Dodo so as 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, traveling over skyscrapers. The Dodo may also be used to reach inaccessible parts of the city, such as the Ghost Town, or a Easter egg text on an 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 easier to fly with an engine far more reliable in keeping the plane in the air, and has better control and stability; players may apply the same flying instructions learned from Flying School to take off, fly and land using the Dodo. However, with a perforate of superior counterparts in the game, the Dodo is one of the slowest planes in game. The Dodo is also not seen flying around the skies, and it is also the beginner plane, followed by Shamal.

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

Gallery

Dodo in flight in GTA San Andreas.

Dodo in flight in GTA San Andreas.
A Dodo in GTA Liberty City Stories, spawned using a mod.

A Dodo in GTA Liberty City Stories, spawned using a mod.