The Buckingham^[2] Akula is a stealth gunship attack helicopter featured in Grand Theft Auto Online as part of The Doomsday Heist update.

Influence

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 helicopter 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

The Akula 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 helicopter 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 Akula 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 such as the Mule, the Benson and the Phantom.

Performance

Vehicle

The Akula 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 helicopter 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 helicopter 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

Similarly 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 helicopter 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 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.

Overview

• Akula
• Machine Gun (pilot)
• Machine Gun
• Dual MG
• Missiles (Barrage)
• Missiles (Homing)

Aircraft Statistics - Grand Theft Auto Online
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)
Handling.meta
N/A	99.4 / 160 / 86.4	N/A	N/A	N/A	8000 / 17637	100
Website Statements [?][?]Removed after Further Adventures in Finance and Felony (enhanced version only)
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Observed / First-Person Airspeed Indicator (Enhanced version)
N/A	N/A	N/A	Twin Turboshaft engines, 4-bladed rotor	Middle	Cannot be observed	Cannot be observed

Weapon Statistics - Grand Theft Auto Online
Damage (per shot) [?][?]GTA V PED HEALTH POINTS: Strong: 200  ; Average: 175  ; Weak: 150  ; Animal: 150  ; Armour: 200  ; Gull: 10  ; Fish: 10  ; Rat: 10  ; Shark: 200	Fire Rate [?][?]In the files, the millisecond is the thousandth number (0.001)	Range (m / ft) [?][?]Also measured in-game through GPS waypoint or other players in the map menu	Ammo Specifications/ Capacity	Reload Mechanism	Reload Speed [?][?]In the files, the millisecond is the thousandth number (0.001)
Weapons.meta
1515HitLimbs modifier (2424(multiplayer)) 22.522.5LightArmor modifier 3030Default	0.08 (750 RPM)	300 / 984.2	750	N/A	N/A
In-game Statements / Markings
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Observed
N/A	900 RPM	300 / 984.2	Unlimited	N/A	N/A
Rockstar Games Social Club [?][?]Also applied by HUD and file stats
			Damage	30% 30%
			Fire Rate/Speed	60% 60%
			Accuracy	40% 40%
			Range	60% 60%
			Clip Size	50% 50%

Weapon Statistics - Grand Theft Auto Online
Damage (per shot) [?][?]GTA V PED HEALTH POINTS: Strong: 200  ; Average: 175  ; Weak: 150  ; Animal: 150  ; Armour: 200  ; Gull: 10  ; Fish: 10  ; Rat: 10  ; Shark: 200	Fire Rate [?][?]In the files, the millisecond is the thousandth number (0.001)	Range (m / ft) [?][?]Also measured in-game through GPS waypoint or other players in the map menu	Ammo Specifications/ Capacity	Reload Mechanism	Reload Speed [?][?]In the files, the millisecond is the thousandth number (0.001)
Weapons.meta
1515HitLimbs modifier (2424(multiplayer)) 22.522.5LightArmor modifier 3030Default 4545Headshot modifier (multiplayer)	0.05 (1200 RPM)	500 / 1640.4	750	N/A	N/A
In-game Statements / Markings
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Observed
N/A	1200 RPM	500 / 1640.4	Unlimited	N/A	N/A
Rockstar Games Social Club [?][?]Also applied by HUD and file stats
			Damage	30% 30%
			Fire Rate/Speed	60% 60%
			Accuracy	40% 40%
			Range	60% 60%
			Clip Size	50% 50%

Weapon Statistics - Grand Theft Auto Online
Damage (per shot) [?][?]GTA V PED HEALTH POINTS: Strong: 200  ; Average: 175  ; Weak: 150  ; Animal: 150  ; Armour: 200  ; Gull: 10  ; Fish: 10  ; Rat: 10  ; Shark: 200	Fire Rate [?][?]In the files, the millisecond is the thousandth number (0.001)	Range (m / ft) [?][?]Also measured in-game through GPS waypoint or other players in the map menu	Ammo Specifications/ Capacity	Reload Mechanism	Reload Speed [?][?]In the files, the millisecond is the thousandth number (0.001)
Weapons.meta
1515HitLimbs modifier (2424(multiplayer)) 22.522.5LightArmor modifier 3030Default 4545Headshot modifier (multiplayer)	0.08 (750 RPM)	500 / 1640.4	750	N/A	N/A
In-game Statements / Markings
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Observed
N/A	1500 RPM	500 / 1640.4	Unlimited	N/A	N/A
Rockstar Games Social Club [?][?]Also applied by HUD and file stats
			Damage	30% 30%
			Fire Rate/Speed	60% 60%
			Accuracy	40% 40%
			Range	60% 60%
			Clip Size	50% 50%

Weapon Statistics - Grand Theft Auto Online
Damage (per shot) [?][?]GTA V PED HEALTH POINTS: Strong: 200  ; Average: 175  ; Weak: 150  ; Animal: 150  ; Armour: 200  ; Gull: 10  ; Fish: 10  ; Rat: 10  ; Shark: 200	Fire Rate [?][?]In the files, the millisecond is the thousandth number (0.001)	Range (m / ft) [?][?]Also measured in-game through GPS waypoint or other players in the map menu	Ammo Specifications/ Capacity	Reload Mechanism	Reload Speed [?][?]In the files, the millisecond is the thousandth number (0.001)
Weapons.meta
N/A	0.15 (400 RPM)	300 / 984.2 (Lock-on & Weapon)	1 (2020Max Ammo)	N/A	N/A
In-game Statements / Markings
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Observed
N/A	400 RPM	400 / 1312.3	Unlimited	N/A	3 seconds
Rockstar Games Social Club [?][?]Also applied by HUD and file stats
			Damage	0% 0%
			Fire Rate/Speed	0% 0%
			Accuracy	10% 10%
			Range	100% 100%
			Clip Size	1% 1%

Weapon Statistics - Grand Theft Auto Online
Damage (per shot) [?][?]GTA V PED HEALTH POINTS: Strong: 200  ; Average: 175  ; Weak: 150  ; Animal: 150  ; Armour: 200  ; Gull: 10  ; Fish: 10  ; Rat: 10  ; Shark: 200	Fire Rate [?][?]In the files, the millisecond is the thousandth number (0.001)	Range (m / ft) [?][?]Also measured in-game through GPS waypoint or other players in the map menu	Ammo Specifications/ Capacity	Reload Mechanism	Reload Speed [?][?]In the files, the millisecond is the thousandth number (0.001)
Weapons.meta
N/A	2 (30 RPM)	300 / 984.2 (Lock-on & Weapon)	1 (2020Max Ammo)	N/A	2
In-game Statements / Markings
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Observed
N/A	60 RPM	300 / 984.2 (Lock-on) 540 / 1771.6 (Weapon)	4 per launcher (unlimited)	N/A	2 seconds (per launcher)
Rockstar Games Social Club [?][?]Also applied by HUD and file stats
			Damage	0% 0%
			Fire Rate/Speed	0% 0%
			Accuracy	10% 10%
			Range	100% 100%
			Clip Size	1% 1%

Modifications

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[4]
	Candy Cane	FREE[4]
	It's a Wrap	FREE[4]
	Deck the Halls	FREE[4]
	Pink & Green Camo	Unreleased
	Yellow & Blue Camo	Unreleased
	Orange Shade Camo	Unreleased
	Blue & Green Camo	Unreleased
	Hunting Camo	FREE[5]
	Blue Tartan	Unreleased
	Santo Capra Coins	Unreleased
	Sessanta Nove Monogram	Unreleased
	Sessanta Nove Multi-color	Unreleased
	Dolla Dolla	FREE[6]
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

* Denotes items that can only be unlocked for purchase via research in the Bunker property.

Gallery

Design

Grand Theft Auto Online

Images

Video

Locations

• 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.
  • It is classed as a Medium vehicle.

Prominent Appearances in Gameplay

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)

Rockstar Games Social Club

Akula - Helicopters

Main image (after 2019).

"Action" image for GTA Online.

Main image (prior to 2019).

SPEED

100

ACCELERATION

100

AGILITY

100

SEATS

4

GARAGE

MODDABLE

PREMIUM

SUPER-MODDABLE

SELL

BUY

DEALER

www.warstock-cache-and-carry.com

Oversights

• 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.^[7]
• Installing the dual .50 cal miniguns prevents the homing missiles to lock on to targets. This was corrected in the Arena War update.^[8]

Specifications

Model

Traffic Default Colors

Changes

Trivia

General

• "Akula" (Акула) means "shark" in Russian, and several 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 .yft node 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?ref?This fact is likely to be disputed and needs a source for confirmation.]}
• 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.

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

Navigation