Batplane
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The Batplane, Batwing, Batjet or Batgyro is the fictional aircraft for the DC Comics superhero Batman.[1] The vehicle was introduced in "Batman Versus The Vampire, I", published in Detective Comics #31 in 1939, a story which saw Batman travel to continental Europe.[2][3] In this issue it was referred to as the "Batgyro", and according to Les Daniels was "apparently inspired by Igor Sikorsky's first successful helicopter flight" of the same year. Initially based upon either an autogyro or helicopter, with a rotor, the Batgyro featured a bat motif at the front. The writers gave the Batgyro the ability to be "parked" in the air by Batman, hovering in such a way as to maintain its position and allow Batman to return.[4][5]
The Batgyro was soon replaced by the Batplane, which debuted in Batman #1, and initially featured a machine gun.
Background
Batman once maintained aircraft in his original Batcave. However, launching these planes so close to Wayne Manor's neighboring estates threatened to compromise Batman's secret identity. The Caped Crusader now "borrows" specially-modified jets and helicopters from Wayne Aerospace's business and military contracts.
Batplane I[8] and the Bat-Rocket favored Batman's signature look over sleek aerodynamics.
Batplane II
Batplane III is a modified Wayne Aerospace SlipStream ($46 million sans "extras"). It is detailed to resemble a standard mid-size corporate jet during take-offs and landings. Some of its features and capabilities are as follows:
- At cruising altitude (35,000-45,000 ft.), telescoping wings retract. Exterior sections of tail and nose-cone envelop cockpit and cabin fuselage for higher altitude pressurization.
- Gaining further altitude (45,000-55,000 ft.) delta fins in the tail and snub winglets elongate to increase efficiency and stability as speeds approach supersonic.
- At ceiling altitudes (55,000-60,000 ft.) "smart" paint on exterior radar-shielding ceramics responds to dropping air pressure and temperature, thus camouflaging the Batplane's exterior to stealthy black.
- acrylic glasscanopy windows polarize at stealth altitude.
Technical specifications
The aircraft's specifications are:[12][13]
- Height: 14.5 ft.
- Length: 57.7 ft.
- Wingspan: 47.6 ft. - The wings are protected by a bleed-air anti-icing system.
- Altitude Ceiling: 60,000 ft.
- Maximum Speed: 4,400 mph
- Range: 2,486 n m
- Take-Off Distance: 5,230 ft.
- Landing Distance: 2,984 ft.
- Payload: 2,670 lb.
- Refueling Time: 7.8 minutes
In other media
Live-action films
Batman ('89) and Batman Forever
The Batwing appears in the movie
Batman then returns to the city to confront the Joker directly. He fires off several rockets and two miniguns, killing many henchmen but narrowly missing his target. The Joker shoots the Batwing down with one bullet from his long barreled revolver. The Batwing crashes into a flaming wreck on the steps of Gotham City Cathedral but a bruised and battered Batman survives just as the Joker abducts Vicki Vale, leading to the final climactic confrontation in the cathedral’s belfry.
After this, it was rebuilt and upgraded by the time of the events of Batman Forever and is used to combat the Riddler. As demonstrated when Riddler shot him down with a powerful green laser, the Batwing actually has an ejection pod which also doubles as a mini submarine. Both models of the plane are roughly bat-shaped, and were created with miniature effects. In the comic book adaptation of Batman Forever, the Batwing actually folds up into the Batboat.
In Batman, the Batwing was designed by Anton Furst and Julian Caldow and was constructed by the John Evans special effects team at Pinewood Studios and as a model by Derek Meddings. The vehicle was deliberately designed after the sickle-shape of the film's Bat-symbol. At least five models were created of the Batwing at various sizes and scales, with only one (that was seen burning on the Cathedral steps) created in full-scale. Other models included an 8 ft, fully automated model, a 2 ft model and a 1" model. A full-size segment of the cockpit was created in front of a blue-screen set for close-up shots of Michael Keaton piloting the craft and its targeting system being optically composited with Jack Nicholson standing in the background.[14] The redesign in Forever was devised by Barbara Ling and Matt Codd, having a ribbed body and tailfin similar to the movie's Batmobile.[15][16]
This version also reappeared in the 2023 DCEU film The Flash, which ignores the events of Forever and its following film Batman & Robin, and showcases more of its inner functions than depicted in the Tim Burton films, including folding wings and rear seats with built-in parachutes.[17]
The Dark Knight Trilogy
An entirely new version of the Batwing appears in the film
In designing the Bat, Nathan Crowley approached it as if it were an actual military project, emphasising the need for it to "fit into the same family" as the Tumbler and the Batpod. The final version of the Bat takes its design cues from the Harrier jump jet, Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey and the Boeing AH-64 Apache.[18] Chris Corbould described the Bat's size and shape as presenting a major challenge for filming given Christopher Nolan's emphasis on practical effects over computer-generated imagery. In order to make the Bat "fly", it was variously supported by wires, suspended from cranes and helicopters, and mounted on a purpose-built vehicle with hydraulic controls to simulate movement.[18][19][20]
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
The Batplane appears in the 2016 film
The only physical part of the Batwing was a small portion of the cockpit, with the aircraft being rendered through computer graphics by Scanline VFX. As detailed by visual effects supervisor Bryan Hirota, the company had to build the Batwing out of only concept art, a model, and details of the set pieces, leading the crew to look through reference of military aircraft. The Northrop Grumman X-47B was a major influence for the aerodynamics, while the vertical takeoff and landing led to adopting a central fan/jet system as seen in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.[21]
Justice League
The Batplane appears in a final cameo in the 2017 film Justice League.
Animation
The Batplane has appeared in the Super Friends cartoon series, where it was revealed to be a jet, and it was most often referred to as the Batjet, except for in season one. The classic Bat-Plane appears frequently in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. In The Batman, the Batwing is created in the episode "Thunder" to defeat Maxie Zeus. In the episode "Artifacts", Nightwing uses it to save a plane and crashes it on Freeze.
The Batwing briefly appeared in the
The Batwing appeared in the
DC Animated Universe
The Batwing also appears in Batman: The Animated Series, shaped like a stylized bat with very long wings that jut out past the "head" of the plane. The Batplane in The New Batman Adventures takes on a smaller, sleeker design shaped like a rocket with a curved wing on each side which also appeared in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. In Batman Beyond, flying cars are commonplace and thus the Batmobile used by Terry McGinnis doubles as a plane.
Video games
Batman: Arkham
The Batwing appears in Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Knight, dropping off Batman's Batsuit, gadgets and upgrading the Batmobile.
A Batplane-like vehicle can be seen hanging from the ceiling and covered by a tarp inside the hidden Batcave under Arkham Island. Later in the game, Batman remotely pilots the Batplane to his location and has it drop off one of his gadgets, the Line Launcher. At the end of the game, Batman calls it again to leave for Gotham and apprehend Two-Face. When unlocked, the character trophy is called 'Batwing'. It also makes a cameo in the Batcave DLC. The Batwing has a more important role in the prequel Batman: Arkham Origins, where Batman is able use it to travel to other sections of Gotham City much quicker than he could on his own. Although he is required to disable enemy communication towers established by 'Enigma' in certain areas to signal the plane all over the city, once they have been destroyed, the plane can also take Batman to and from the Batcave.
Lego Dimensions
A constructible Batwing comes packaged as part of The Lego Batman Movie Story Pack for Lego Dimensions; using it will unlock the vehicle for use in-game.
Other appearances
Lego Batman
Six Flags Over Texas
The Gotham City section of Six Flags Over Texas includes a child focused amusement ride called "Batwing," which consists of two passenger seats that go in circles while also moving up and down.[22]
See also
References
- ISBN 0-02-538700-6. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ Fox, Gardner & Kane, Bob (w); Moldoff, Sheldon & Kane, Bob (a). "Batman Versus The Vampire, I", Detective Comics #31, DC Comics, September 1939.
- ISBN 978-1-4654-8578-6.
- ^ Daneils, Les, Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes.Virgin Books, 1995. p78.
- ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1
- ^ Finger, Bill (w), Kane, Bob & Robinson, Jerry (a). "The Giants of Hugo Strange", Batman #1, DC Comics, Spring 1940.
- ^ a b Daniels, Les, Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes.Virgin Books, 1995. p78.
- ^ "The Golden Age Batman Chronology". ourworld.cs.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2002. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ "The Golden Age Batman Chronology". ourworld.cs.com. Archived from the original on 17 August 2002. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ Steranko, Jim (1970). The Steranko History of Comics, vol 1. Supergraphics. p. 49.
- ^ Reed, David Vern (w); Sprang, Dick (p); Paris, Charles (i). "The Birth of Batplane II!", Batman #61, DC Comics, October–November 1950.
- ^ "BATMAN: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE DARK KNIGHT". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
- ISBN 0-7894-7865-X
- ^ Classic Feature: The Making Of Batman
- ^ The Batman Filmography
- ^ Magid, Ron (July 1995). "Effects Help to Expand Batman's World". American Cinematographer. 76 (7).
- ^ First Look at Michael Keaton's New Batwing in The Flash Movie Merch
- ^ a b "The Dark Knight Rises Production Notes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
- ^ "'Dark Knight Rises': Batwing First Look!". MTV. August 15, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
- Superhero Hype!. June 14, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
- ^ BATMAN V SUPERMAN – DAWN OF JUSTICE: Bryan Hirota – VFX Supervisor – Scanline VFX, Art of VFX
- ^ "BATWING - Six Flags over Texas".