Vertibird

The VB-02 VTOL craft, codenamed Vertibird, is a pre-War military multipurpose helicopter, extensively used by the Enclave in post-war America. It has a heavily armored fuselage and can be outfitted with a variety of offensive weapons and defensive countermeasures, the most common being a Gatling Laser and a missile rack. It is powered by an internal fission reactor which has been known to detonate under heavy fire.

It was still in prototype phase when the Holocaust of 2077 struck, preventing it from entering full military service (scheduled for 2085). However, the trial aircraft that were already produced and in the field were seized by Enclave members and loyalists and either transferred to their bases or secured in shelters.

There are two versions of the craft used by the Enclave:
 * A transport-oriented version with a glass canopy, six legs, and a large cargo bay
 * A dedicated gunship version with a more heavily armored hull, three or four (depending on model) retractable landing struts, and greater maneuverability.

Events related to the Vertibird

 * In 2241, one crashed near the trapper town of Klamath and was the first sign of the Enclave encountered by the Chosen One.
 * The Chosen One stole the Vertibird Plans from the Navarro base, but it is not certain whether he gave them to the Brotherhood of Steel, the Shi, or simply kept them.
 * In 2277, several Vertibirds were destroyed by Liberty Prime.

West coast operations
Vertibird range was at least 175 miles distance between the oil rig and Navarro. Accessible were Klamath, Redding, Gecko , New Reno and Vault 13. According to the Shi, vertibirds flew over San Francisco on the way from Navarro to the oil rig.

Design background
The Vertibird is a lateral twin-rotor (non-synchronized) helicopter design. An actual experimental prototype for this type of aircraft was the Platt-LePage XR-1/XR-1A tested by the US Army in the 1940's. Others included the German Focke Achgelis Fa 223 and the McDonnell XHJD-1 "Whirlaway".

The XR-1 was the first American military helicopter to takeoff and hover with good control, but the lateral design was generally plagued by significant vibration and control problems when in motion. Synchronized lateral rotor aircraft like the Kellett XR-10 worked better, but the concept was eventually abandoned in favor of the tandem (fore-aft) twin-rotor configuration that is in use today (e.g. the Chinook). In Fallout 3, closer inspection has revealed that they are indeed tilt-rotor craft similar to the real-world V-22 Osprey.

The name "Vertibird" is the trademark for a toy helicopter playset popular in the 70's. Some design aspects of the unusual aircraft appear to be inspired by that hovering insect, the dragonfly. For example, the six legged landing gear and twin bulges in the forward fuselage.

Random Vertibird landing encounter
In Fallout 3, after escaping from the Jefferson Memorial, the player may encounter random Vertibird landings when in any exterior location (both in Washington D.C. and the Capital Wastelands). The Vertibird will approach from a random direction and land near the player, deploying up to three hostile Enclave Soldiers or two soldiers and a Sentry Bot. If they do not see the player, they will start patrolling the area and attack anything around.

Vertibirds may also randomly fly overhead, especially near the DC area, and attempt to drop several Mini-Nukes in your vicinity. Naturally, you should seek cover if one flies overhead, as the detonations will follow shortly, and are always fatal in the event of a direct hit.

You may also see one fly overhead when in a building with a collapsed ceiling (Ex.: The National Guard Depot).

Note: Vertibirds can be destroyed with sufficient firepower, though they cannot be targeted in V.A.T.S.. The Fat Man, Experimental MIRV, Plasma Rifle and the Gatling Laser perform this task well; Nuka Grenades can too, though with difficulty. If the troops have already disembarked when the Vertibird is destroyed, the resulting explosion will kill them if they are close enough. If the Vertibird is destroyed with the troops still aboard, they will also be destroyed along with any possible loot.

Thus far, there have been no reports of being able to glitch on or otherwise board a Vertibird.

You can also find a vertibird landing repeatedly in front of the Arlington Library.

Appearances in games


Vertibirds appear in Fallout 2 and Fallout 3.