Carmen Albatross

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Carmen Albatross
Above Refugio Umbra.
Vehicle in Just Cause 3
Type	Fighter
Weapons	6 machine guns
Rarity	Rare
List of owners	The Rebellion
Top speed (km/h)	251
Top speed (mph)	~152

The Carmen Albatross is a World War II era plane in Just Cause 3.

Appearance

It's a WWII-era fighter with a 5-bladed propeller and 3 external fuel tanks.

It appears to be based on a number of real-world aircraft; the under-slung air scoop, propeller array and tailplane are reminiscent of the P-51 Mustang; the wings are similar in shape and functionality to the Vought F4U Corsair or the Douglas BTD Destroyer; and its top view also resembles Focke-Wulf Fw 190. The fuselage and engine resemble the Lavochkin La-9.

Similar to the CS7 Thunderhawk, it has folding wings which are fully functional. If the player parks the aircraft in a cramped area or to where the wing is against a cliff, the wings will automatically fold up when the player disembarks the aircraft. Likewise they will automatically fold down when the engine is started. The wings fold much slower than on the Thunderhawk, meaning the player can begin to move while the wings are still up.

According to the Rebel drop info: "The Albatross warplane was developed by the Carmen Brothers and was the standard model in the 1940s in combat. In the 1950s it was suddenly replaced by land-based aircraft."

As suggested by its folding wings and by the Rebel drop info, these planes were used on aircraft carriers. It is quite possible some operated from the now sunken aircraft carriers at Grotta Contrabandero and Scolio.

It always appears in a unique metallic rebel scheme with 'AF07' markings. This vehicle is unique in that sense when no other Rebellion aircraft have letters or numbering on them.

Performance

With a cruising speed of approximately 195 km/h and an approximate top speed of 245 in level flight, the Albatross's speed is a closer match for some of the faster helicopters in the game than for the other jet-engined fighter aircraft, however it can still outpace other propeller driven aircraft such as the Stria Ghibli 3 and the Urga U17 Akrobat. Unlike these other propeller-driven aircraft, the Albatross is very well balanced and stable, and may even be left to fly in a certain direction unattended and maintain almost the same pitch. It is also extraordinarily maneuverable, able to perform tight turns, air combat maneuvers and evasive maneuvers very quickly and in short distances, even at high speeds. It is armed with six wing-mounted machine guns.

It is tricky to use, but in the right hands, the Albatross can be a powerful ground attack vehicle against smaller military installations. The six wing guns are adequate to destroy most chaos objects, however it might take multiple passes to take out certain pieces of equipment. It will only withstand a single direct hit from SAM before being destroyed, however thanks to its maneuverability, the Albatross is in some ways better equipped to evade guided missiles than certain faster aircraft; its quick directional changes make it easier to out-turn the faster but less agile missiles.

Taking off on uneven and rocky ground can get the plane stuck on its front end.

It can be rather difficult to land the Albatross due to the torque effect created by its massive engine; the plane has a tendency to veer to the left upon touchdown, however this can be compensated for.

If the player attempts to take off as soon as the engine starts the aircraft can get airborne with the wings still partially up. If this happens the aircraft can still take off while being much less responsive. This isn't possible in the CS7 Thunderhawk, which also features folding wings, because the Thunderhawk's wings fold and unfold nearly instantaneously.

Locations

• 2 at Grotta Contrabandero.
• 1 at Refugio Umbra.
• Hangar at the end of the center runway at Vulture after liberation.
• 0-3 at runway at Porto Cavo after liberation.
• Provided for some air race in Libeccio.
• Unlocked for Rebel drop after collecting all "Vintage Parts" in Insula Striate.

With the above locations, this vehicle only has 2-6 spawn points, making it one of the rarest vehicles in Just Cause 3.

Trivia

• According to an unregistered user's edit on article Pointe Laurino, the Albatross is named after Joseph Carmen Laurino, the father of one of the game's writers who passed away during game development. The user says he was "an avid fan of vintage fighter planes".
• Despite actually being a little older, in the Just Cause game series, it's a successor to the McKenzie-Fergusson F2 Victor.
• The main landing gear struts each have a landing light fixed to them. Oddly enough these lights stay illuminated once the gear are retracted and actually appear to shine through the wing leading edge skin.
• The teardrop-shaped fuel tanks on its wings suggest it may have been used for long-range missions. Similar tanks were fitted to all fighter types during WW2 when they were used on long-range missions, such as bomber escort. Though in reality there was normally only a single tank in the middle, so that the maneuverability would not be hindered as much.
• Its lack of period ground-attack armaments such as bombs or rockets probably means that it was used mainly for air-to-air combat.
• The albatross is a general term for a number of species of a family of large sea birds, however this title has been associated with many aircraft and aeronautical subjects. Disambiguation on Wikipedia
• When the Albatross's wings are folded it can fit within the hold of the U41 Ptakojester cargo jet.
• Loading the Albatross on the Ptakojester isn't easy. Using the grappling hook might make the plane shift a little in the cargo bay. If using a vehicle like a rebel truck or tank, it shouldn't be too hard. It's best to drive slowly with the Albatross attached so it won't explode in the cargo hold.
• As a Rebellion aircraft with 'AF07' markings, this vehicle is unique in the sense that no other Rebellion aircraft have letters or numbering on them.
• This vehicle is the only military plane in Medici that still uses propellers.
• This vehicle is unique in the sense that there are no other vehicles with 6 machine guns that appear in any other game. Even the F-33 DragonFly Jet Fighter in Just Cause 2 only has 4 miniguns.

Bugs

• For some reason, if the airplane stands on the ground on its propeller, the player can press the deceleration key to make it take off flying backwards. This is quite impractical in the real world.
• When firing the guns with the wings up, the bullets are fired from the empty space where the wing would normally be in the downward position.

Gallery

As seen in the Rebel drop list.

All fighters grappled to a wall. The Albatross is the farthest.

Takeoff fail.

Above Grotta Contrabandero.

Two at Grotta Contrabandero.

At Porto Cavo after liberation. Rico is standing next to a CS7 Thunderhawk.

Carmen Albatross flying over sea with Vigilator Sud in the distance

Carmen Albatross flying over sea with eDEN Airship in the distance

Near Guardia Litore Torto II.

At Refugio Umbra with a rebel sitting on the horizontal stabiliser.

On the grass outside a warehouse in Litore Torto.

A demonstration of the guns firing while the wings are up. Notice how the bullets appear to fire from mid-air.

A formation of several of these planes in JC3MP.

Night flying of a Carmen Albatross.