CS7 Thunderhawk

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CS7 Thunderhawk
Vehicle in Just Cause 3
Type	Jet fighter
Weapons	Cannon and homing missiles
Rarity	Common
List of owners	Medici Military The Rebellion
Top speed (km/h)	353 (level) 410 (level with nitrous) 355 (diving) 410 (diving with nitrous)
Top speed (mph)	~219.3 (level) 254.76 (level with nitrous) ~220.5 (diving) 254.76(diving with nitrous)

The CS7 Thunderhawk is a fighter aircraft in Just Cause 3.

Appearance

The CS7 Thunderhawk is a delta-wing jet fighter, resembling several different fighter jets, such as the Dassault Mirage 2000 and the Saab JAS 39 Gripen, but without the canards, and also the Indian HAL Tejas, with less swept wings.

The aircraft has folding wings, a design feature typically used by carrier-based aircraft on aircraft carriers. The aircraft can be seen with its wings folded whilst being transported by a Train, and when it is parked by Rico in a small space. It will sometimes spawn with folded wings, depending on if it's in a smaller space, both when spawning naturally at a base and in Rebel drop.

The wings can be made to stay open if Rico rolls the plane forwards at its slowest speed and jumps to the Stunt position, causing the plane to brake automatically.

According to the Rebel drop description: "When it comes to aerial firefights, few top the CS7 Thunderhawk, featuring the M98 machine gun, M62 Mako repeating missiles and M-78 Kauga heat-seekers."

Performance

This aircraft has a top speed of 353 km/h (and with Gear Mods, over 400 km/h), which places it as the fastest vehicle in the game. As a fighter, the aircraft is very agile and maneuverable at high speeds - at times rather twitchy. It has a remarkably short take-off and landing distance, characteristic of a STOL aircraft. Its overall performance makes it a good choice for skilled pilots to easily speed past many air races.

The aircraft's armament consists of a nose gun and missiles. The nose gun behaves similarly to mounted miniguns on other vehicles like the Urga Postolka, so it is only of use in air-to-air engagements and dogfights. The missiles on the other hand are much more useful due to their short reload time and when augmented with lock-on, they can easily destroy enemy aircraft or quickly demolish ground threats, although in this regard it still loses out to many helicopters and the dedicated ground attacker U-7 Dravec.

Locations

Medici Military

• Griphon military airbase.
• Vulture military airbase.
• Porto Cavo military airbase.
• Guardia Grande Pastura II military outpost.
• Falco Maxime: Centcom.
• It can be found stowed with the wings folded up on trains. The aircraft can be launched directly from these trains, with a very short take-off distance required. In order to do this, the train needs to be in normal motion and the plane has to "pull up" at maximum climb rate. It can also be launched by reversing off the train, then launching as if you’re on a runway.
• In missions:
  • A Terrible Reaction - Several are seen attacking Costa Del Porto with bombs.
  • Rico and the Rose - A small squad of them appear shortly after meeting up with Rosa Manuela.
  • Bavarium on a Plane - Sent by Di Ravello to intercept the U41 Ptakojester.
  • The Watcher on The Wall - Two appear in each wave to assault the supply shipments.
  • The Shatterer of Worlds - One appears after destroying an attacking Medici Military formation abandoned near the road. Three more appear as enemy units circling a small island.
• Two spawn delivering FOW air strikes at Cima Leon: Centcom.
• In air traffic around Medici:
  • Rarely flying circles around the Stingray Area before leaving and crashing into a cliff in Libeccio.

The Rebellion

• Becomes available for Rebel drop following the liberation of Griphon airbase.
• At liberated military bases in Medici. Note that they only spawn at bases/outposts with airfields.
• At Grotta Contrabandero in Cauda in Insula Dracon.
• At Refugio Umbra in Umbra in Insula Striate.
• Near the Wind Turbines at Maestrale, close to the lake. Approximating around N 40 46.200 E 5 39.200. This one only spawns after Maestrale is captured for the Rebellion.
• At a rebel checkpoint about a kilometer to the west of Porto Coclea. Approximating around N 40 47.370 E 5 39.600. This one only spawns after the province is captured for the Rebellion.
• In missions:
  • Rico and the Rose - Provided at the start.
  • The Shatterer of Worlds - One appears in the final scene.
  • Son of Medici - Provided if the U-7 Dravec did not spawn.
• Passes above when Rico orders something from rebel drop (in this case at about 1 km altitude), or an airstrike via Dionysus PLDS-H.
• Can sometimes be found flying south, high over the Lavanda province in the Insula Fonte region.

Other

• Both variants have been seen flying above Griphon, Vulture, and the northern coast of Maestrale.

Trivia

• This plane is the successor to the Ulysses-McCoy Redcloud, the older delta-wing fighter in Just Cause.
• It is built by the fictional company Capstone.
• Mako, the manufacturer of the aircraft's "M62 repeating missiles", is a weapons manufacturer from Just Cause.
• The folding wing design may indicate that this aircraft was once carrier-based, perhaps on the sunken aircraft carrier at Grotta Contrabandero.
• These planes are known for having air brakes and reverse thrusters that "scream".
• By stunt jumping onto the plane, destroying it mid flight, and quickly getting back in, it is possible to ride in the destroyed cockpit all the way to the ground. Simply stunt jump behind the cockpit, shoot the plane until it explodes (to do this easily, shoot it twice with the CS110 Archangel) and quickly get back in. If done correctly, Rico will re-enter the now destroyed cockpit as it falls to the ground.
• Rail transport will never pass airfields in Medici, so it's likely the Thunderhawks loaded on them are intended to be launched from trains in the event where other airfields cannot function, such as a simultaneously nuclear attack that wipes them all out.
• When a train engine is destroyed and the car holding the Thunderhawk is left to despawn, the Thunderhawk gains odd physics quirks. The biggest of which is that the plane's hitbox seems to disappear, allowing it to fly through terrain such as trees, rocks, and even the ground (video). See more about this at Just Cause 3 Bugs and glitches.
• Many of CS7 Thunderhawk's appearances are inconsistent or outright impossible with its role, such as dropping large containers or bombs. It is notable that these CS7 Thunderhawks do not even enter an attack angle since their respective payload items just spawn independently.
• It is actually possible to hijack the rebel drop version. The easiest method to do this is to go onto the bridge which crosses the valley close to Guardia Lacos I and call a rebel drop from here. Make sure the beacon lands on the ground below, otherwise the drop can badly damage the bridge you are on. The Thunderhawk will fly very close to your altitude. Grapple to the aircraft and hijack it. Now, you should be able to fly the aircraft. Although available Gear Mods do not carry over, this can be considered a useful way to obtain it before more accessible spawn points are available, such as Refugio Umbra.

Gallery

The Rebellion

Blowing up a Drone Depot.

The Rebellion version near Guardia Massos V.

Rebellion version near Corda Dracon: Centcom.

A Rebellion version at sea near some strange lights. These turned out to be part of Insula Lacrima.

Trying to take off at Falco Maxime: Centcom in vain.

Approaching Stingray before the mission that takes place there.

Medici Military

Taking off from a train track after taking the jet from a derailed train.

As seen for the first time in a pre-launch Nerd³ video.

Rico is inspecting the engine.

Miscellaneous

One of the earliest promotional artworks and the first place where these were seen.

Another artwork of the plane and a large ship. Note how it's actually a Dassault Mirage 2000 Photoshopped with Medici flags. The car (also not actually in the game) is an Aston Martin.

Photoshopped artwork version vs Mirage 2000. The exact Mirage used in the game artwork is seen at the wikipedia article, identified by the unique camouflage pattern.

Being transported by a Train.

As seen in the Rebel drop list.

The unlock screen, after liberating Griphon.

A military version that just got destroyed by Rico in Bavarium on a Plane.

An example of how fast this plane can go. Just try not to get caught by the missiles.

A Dassault Mirage 2000, one of the aircraft this vehicle closely resembles.

The HAL Tejas, another vehicle this vehicle is based on.

Both variants together.

Video