Batplane

Batplane
The Bat-gyro. (Detective Comics No. 31)
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Detective Comics #31 (September 1939)
In story information
Type	Vehicle
Element of stories featuring	Batman

The Batplane, later known as the Batwing, is the fictional aircraft for the comic book superhero Batman. 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. ^[1] 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 a 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.^[2][3]

The Batgyro was soon replaced by the Batplane, which debuted in Batman #1, and initially featured a machine gun.^[4] The vehicle was now based on a fixed wing airplane rather than a helicopter, with a propeller at the front, although a bat motif was still attached to the nose-cone. The Batplane has undergone constant revision since its first appearance, and has even been depicted as having the capability to traverse underwater.^[5] With the launch of the Tim Burton directed Batman film of 1989, the Batplane became known as the Batwing, a name which was carried over into the comics.

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^[6] and the Bat-Rocket favored Batman's signature look over sleek aerodynamics.

The origin of Batplane II.

Batplane II^[7][8] was a retooled Wayne Aeropsace W4 Wraith fighter that married style with substance. In terms of design, it shares features with the Grumman F9F Cougar and McDonnell F-101 Voodoo. When the Batplane is stolen and triplicated by smugglers in Batman #61, Batman and Robin upgrade the Batplane to jet propulsion, adding at least "100 miles per hour" to its maximum speed.^[5][9]

Batplane III

Batplane III is a modified Wayne Aerospace SlipStream ($46 million sans "extras"). It's 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.

• Avionics include ergonomic "at-a-glance" viewing levels for all electronics and multifunction displays. The breakaway canopy allows for pilot/co-pilot emergency ejection. The reinforced acrylic glass canopy windows polarize at stealth altitude.

Specifications^[10][11]

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 film

The Batwing appears in the Batman and Batman Forever movies, used to combat the Joker and the Riddler, respectively. The original Batwing is destroyed towards the end of the first film and has been rebuilt and upgraded by the events of Forever. The Batwing in the latter actually has an ejection pod which also doubles as a mini sub. Both models of the plane are roughly bat-shaped.

Animation

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. Later in the series, the batplane takes on a smaller, sleeker design, shaped like a rocket with a curved wing on each side. In Batman Beyond, set fifty years into the future, flying cars are commonplace and thus the Batmobile used by Terry McGinnis doubles as a plane. 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.

Other appearances

Lego's Lego Batman line includes one set which features an incarnation of the Batplane, though it goes by the name of "The Batwing" (7782-The Batwing: The Joker's Aerial Assault). The set is featured alongside the Joker's helicopter.

A vehicle largely reminiscent of the one seen on screen in the 1989 Batman film is also seen in Batman: Revenge, (2003).

In the Batman-themed motion simulator ride Batman Adventure - The Ride in Warner Bros. Movie World, riders seemingly follow the Batplane in pursuit of the Joker, Mr Freeze, and Catwoman.

In the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum, 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.

See also

• Batboat
• Batcopter
• Batcycle
• Batmobile

References

External links

• The Unofficial Batplane Biography
• Action Figure Insider :: View topic - Which Batplane is the best?
• Batman: Collected Issues of the Dark Knight - Batman #203
• Batman: Yesterday, Today, & Beyond
• History of the Batplane
• A History of Other Batplanes - The Elseworlds