Batcopter
| Batcopter | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| In story information | |
| Type | Vehicle |
| Element of stories featuring |
Batman Robin |
The Batcopter is the fictional personal helicopter of the DC Comics superhero Batman.
The military aviation branch designs and manufactures jet fighters and helicopters for the U.S. military. The most notable models of these are the W-4 Wraith fighter and the Kestrel attack helicopter.
The Whirly-Bat was Batman's single-occupant mini-copter, designed with an aft counter tail rotor, which it would need to keep from spinning out of control. It was swift and highly-maneuverable. However, the Whirly-Bat's lightweight design prohibited the additional weight of offensive weaponry.
The Whirly-Bat makes an appearance in the 2012 video game Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.
The "Flying Batcave" was a giant helicopter with many of the real Batcave's scientific amenities. They included:
However, the "Flying Batcave" required frequent refueling, thus significantly reducing patrol time.
The first appearance of the Batcopter was in the 1966 film Batman. Unlike the Batmobile, the Batcycle, and the Batboat, it was not intended for use in the 1960s Batman television series, which did not have the budget to create such elaborate vehicles. While the other vehicles were bought by 20th Century Fox, the Batcopter was only leased for the movie. It cost Fox $750 a day for five days from April 7 to April 11, 1966.
The Batcopter was a functional helicopter provided by National Helicopter Service. It was based on the Bell 47, which was designed by Bell Helicopter Textron in 1941. The Batcopter was a G3B-1 model with FAA registration N3079G, which had previously been used in the TV-series Lassie and ABC News. To make the model look more like a superhero vehicle, it was fitted with canvas-covered tubular frames and was painted red. The head of a bat was painted in the front while the Batman symbol was painted on the side. The most dangerous design change was the wings, which reduced power by nearly fifty percent.
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