The Hydra is a military VTOL attack jet featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto Online as part of the Heists update.
The Hydra is a military VTOL attack jet featured in GTA: San Andreas and GTA Online as part of the Heists update. It is the first military jet available in the . It is manufactured by Mammoth in the .
The Hydra is suggestively based on the British Aerospace Harrier II (formerly known as the Hawker Siddley Harrier), a well-known British fighter jet with Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capabilities, with minor detailing from the F-16 Fighting Falcon, such as the cockpit and air intake. The Harrier's influence is further proven by the cheat code that is used to spawn the jet in the PC version: "Jumpjet", which is a nickname for Harrier jets.
The aircraft has a narrow nose with a glass canopy that swings to the right, and a large intake below, as well as the main wings with six pylons on each side and the tail boom/empennage with the corresponding stabilizers. The aircraft uses two main landing undercarriages on the fuselage and a smaller one on each wing. The aircraft is only seen in a dark gray color with roundels of the United States Air Force on its wings, as well as registration letters and numbers on the nose and vertical stabilizer.
The Hydra is equipped with unguided rockets and heat-seeking missiles. Unlike the real-life iteration, however, it lacks an autocannon pod.
The Hydra in Grand Theft Auto Online is based largely on the British Aerospace Harrier II, similar to its previous iteration; however, the nose, vertical fins, and horizontal stabilizers resemble those of the F-35 Lightning II. The B variant is utilized by the US Marines and is the STOVL (Short-take off and Vertical Landing) / VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) version. The Hydra's cockpit resembles the General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, especially the integrated control panel below the HUD, which is directly taken from that of the F-16. The Hydra's air intakes are from the AV-8B, as well as the side air holes and the four rotatable exhaust nozzles. In fact, the entire VTOL system of the Hydra is still based on the AV-8B Harrier II, rather than the F-35B's Lift Fan System, two steering nozzles, and rotatable "Lobster Back" exhaust for its main engine.
The aircraft assumes a much bulkier construction compared to the GTA San Andreas iteration, having a triangular-shaped nose with an air data probe/sensor on the end, as well as a glass canopy that pivots from the front (rather than from the right like its previous iteration). The main section of the aircraft has large intakes beside the fuselage, four vectoring nozzles on either side, and lower hatches for the main landing undercarriage, while the wings hold the corresponding ailerons on each side, six weapon pylons below, and long gear struts that pivot to the rear when the landing gear is retracted. The rear/tail area has two large stabilators, two long vertical stabilizers and a single jet turbine. The aircraft bears a registration code on the tips of the vertical stabilizers and is utilized by the United States Navy.
The interior of the aircraft is very similar to that of the P-996 LAZER, being a compact cabin with a narrow instrument panel, green display screens, and a control stick on each side. In the enhanced version, it uses the same "Lazer" dials from the aforementioned fighter jet and several other aircraft.
The aircraft is only seen in a light gray color with a subtle digital camo livery. It also uses a set of industrial wheels also used on the Titan and the Savage.
