Buzzard

Vehicle

Buzzard
A Buzzard in its original color in The Ballad of Gay Tony. A Buzzard in its original color in The Ballad of Gay Tony.
Appearance(s)	The Ballad of Gay Tony GTA V
Vehicle type	Military aircraft
Body style	2-door light-class attack helicopter
Capacity	2 (pilot and passenger)
Manufacturer	Nagasaki
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"The ultimate party starter: light, maneuverable and armed with rockets and a high-caliber machine gun."
- Official website description.

The Nagasaki Buzzard is a small attack helicopter featured in Grand Theft Auto IV's second episode, The Ballad of Gay Tony, and in Grand Theft Auto V.

Description

GTA IV

Similarly armed with machine guns as the Annihilator, as well as additionally featuring missile pods, the Buzzard is evidently based on an AH-6 Little Bird, an attack variant of the MH-6 Little Bird light observation helicopter, which in turn is a military version of the OH-6 Cayuse and the MD 500C. It's important to note that the Buzzard has the old style tail stabilizer, characteristic of the MD-500C and its corresponding defender/AH/MH-6 counterparts. Being based off of a military class light attack helicopter, this makes the helicopter illegal at least in Liberty City.

The helicopter's compact build and lighter weight makes it very nimble and allows it to execute sharp banks and pitches with ease. However, its bubble canopy and lack of bulletproof glass offers little in the way of protection from heavy weapons like the Advance MG or Explosive Shotgun. The Buzzard can only hold two people as the rear compartment is entirely occupied by an ammunition hold for the miniguns.

According to in-game speech, the Buzzard that Luis Fernando Lopez intended to steal for Yusuf Amir was a prototype, meaning there is possibly only a single one in existence, unlike in real life where Little Birds are widely used by the US Military. The same stolen one is later gold-painted by Yusuf - this difference would be first recognized during the mission "Not So Fast" where Luis must use it to land on the roof of the Libertonian. LCPD will call it "a black/gold helicopter", which is dependent on which version Luis uses - the black version acquired by cheats or the golden version from Yusuf.

GTA V

The Buzzard returns in GTA V, with a largely identical appearance to the GTA IV rendition. Nagasaki now mass-produce the helicopter. Also of note is the introduction of an unarmed version.

Gallery

• 

  A Buzzard in The Ballad of Gay Tony.

• 

  Yusuf Amir's golden Buzzard in The Ballad of Gay Tony.

• 

  A Buzzard in a pre-release GTA V screenshot.

• 

  The unarmed version of the Buzzard in GTA V.

Armaments

A Buzzard firing both the miniguns and missiles, TBOGT

The Ballad of Gay Tony

The Buzzard is equipped with two high-powered miniguns (which can be fired using the A button (Xbox 360), X button (PS3), or Left Shift key (PC)) and missiles (which can be fired using the X button (Xbox 360), Square button (PS3), or left mouse button (PC)).

Miniguns on the Buzzard are much more effective than those on the Annihilator - they have a much faster rate of fire, a narrower spread, and are fired both simultaneously, unlike the Annihilator which only fires one gun at a time. However, they do considerably less damage than the Annihilators guns. They never overheat, which allows for continuous fire.

The missiles from the Buzzard's two missile pods alternately fire one rocket at a time, being dropped a short height from the pods before launching forward. Because the missiles explode on impact with any solid surface after being unloaded, the player is advised not to use them at a low altitude with a sharp trajectory as the detonating missile can destroy the helicopter and kill the player.

Unless the player causes collateral damage, using the on board weapons does not invoke a wanted level.

GTA V

In GTA V, the Buzzard can no longer can fire its miniguns and missiles simultaneously, and the player has to switch between the two. It also has a much slower rate of fire than it did in The Ballad Gay Tony. The changes were most likely made because the Buzzard's missiles can now lock-on and follow targets. Simultaneous rapid fire with lock-on abilities would make the Buzzard nearly impossible to defeat. When flying the Buzzard, a targeting reticule is present to assist the player in aiming.

Trivia

• In a special report by Weazel News in The Ballad of Gay Tony, the Buzzard is considered an illegal attack helicopter, but the LCPD will not put an effort into stopping a Buzzard until it fires on a police officer.
• Logically, Yusuf's Buzzard should be gold painted, not gold plated, as the weight of the gold would make takeoffs very difficult.
• The name "Buzzard" may be a reference to Buzzard 1, a named helicopter from the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas mission Reuniting the Families.

Locations

GTA IV

• A black one can be obtained without cheats in single player. After destroying the boats in "Sexy Time", land the black Buzzard on a road. Get into a car or bike, and drive away from it but keep the camera fixed on the Buzzard. After you have failed the mission, reverse and it will be there.
• Yusuf Amir gives his gold Buzzard to the player as a gift after completing the game. It will be then available at the helipad beside the golf club on the West River. It replaces the Swift there.
• Can be spawned via cheat code, by dialing the number: 359-555-2899 (FLY-555-BUZZ).
• In multiplayer, there are multiple locations where Buzzards can be found:
  • The first two can be found at Francis International Airport on the helipads.
  • One can be found at the heliport in southern Algonquin.
  • One can also be found at a dock next to the parking garage in eastern Algonquin.
  • One can be found at the yacht (not removed in multiplayer) just south of Acter Industrial Park and east of Happiness Island.

GTA V

• Can be obtained from Fort Zancudo.
• On the rooftop helipad of the NOOSE building, located off the Palomino Freeway
• The unarmed version can be occasionally on the helipad of the police station next to the Towing Impound
• Can be purchased for $2,400,000 at Warstock Cache & Carry.
• Can be spawned with a cheat code:
  • PlayStation 3: Circle, Circle, L1, Circle, Circle, Circle, L1, L2, R1, Triangle, Circle, Triangle
  • Xbox 360: B, B, LB, B, B, B, LB, LT, RB, Y, B,

GTA Online

• Spawns on various helipads after progressing to rank 43 and above.
• Can be purchased for $2,400,000 at Warstock Cache & Carry.

See also

• Hunter, Sea Sparrow and Annihilator, other attack helicopters in the Grand Theft Auto series.
• APC, another armed attack vehicle introduced in The Ballad of Gay Tony.