Canard Rotor/Wing



The Canard Rotor/Wing, also known as the Hammerhead, is a class of VTOL aircraft with fixed-wing and rotary-wing flight. It has a large two-blade rotor that locks in place and is used as a wing surface for high-speed flight. Its primary weaponry are AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles and a chin-mounted M230 chaingun. It also has a spotlight at the tip of the fuselage next to the chaingun.

Usage
During Liquid Ocelot's Insurrection in 2014, CRWs were used by Outer Heaven PMCs in the Middle East and South America.

Hammerheads were utilized by Desperado Enforcement LLC. in 2018. Several were utilized in the mission to Abkhazia, where they ambushed Raiden at a bridge and fired missiles at him, destroying much of the bridge in the process. One was used by Desperado captain Monsoon during his fight with Raiden, while another three were later used by Sundowner against him. Sundowner, nearing defeat, later attempted to use a Hammerhead as a last ditch effort to kill Raiden, with Raiden adopting a Slider to fly in pursuit of the chopper.

Behind the scenes
The Canard Rotor/Wing is based on the Boeing X-50 Dragonfly, a failed project aimed at producing a helicopter that could transition to fixed-wing flight in mid air, which was cancelled in 2006.

The aircraft first appeared in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots but were not actually named in the game itself. The novelization of the game supplied them with their name, "Canard Rotor VTOL scouting craft".

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance refers to the aircaft as "Hammerheads," as featured in the Trophy/Achievement "Jumping the Shark," which is awarded for destroying 10 Hammerheads.

Possible Pre Production model/ Variant
.Little is known about this aircraft only that it appeared twice in the Metal Gear Solid 4 Gekko Unit video. The video can be seen here: Metal Gear Solid 4 Gekko unit - YouTube

The craft seems to bear a slight resemblance to the Hammerhead that appeared in Metal Gear solid 4 and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. But its overall shape is still very different ranging from the two missile launchers on its fins and the Size of the main rotor and alerons. It is possible that this was an early model for the before the Hammerhead was made. However, this aircraft may not be a jet/helicopter as it was never seen in jet mode.

This aircraft is not actually seen in the final game.

Appearances

 * Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
 * Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
 * Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (trailer)