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This article is about the TaleSpin airship. For the Ultimate Spider-Man episode, see "Iron Vulture".

The Iron Vulture is an airship in Disney's TaleSpin. Like a vulture, she swoops out of the sky to prey upon the defenseless and unwary. Her ominous profile is a familiar and dreaded sight to cargo pilots. An airship of titanic proportions, the Iron Vulture belongs to the fearsome Air Pirates of Don Karnage, who plunder the skyways at will from their fortress-like flagship. Even the largest cargo planes pale in comparison to this enormous vessel. A quarter mile in length, the Iron Vulture is without doubt the largest airship ever built — as well as the most infamous airborne vehicle in history.

Background[]

It is unknown exactly how Don Karnage came into possession of The Iron Vulture. The three most suspected means include theft, inheritance, or building it himself.

Ironvulture02

The Iron Vulture is a large, cleverly designed ship. From bow to stern, the Vulture spans about 1,200 feet. The rear tail fin adds an extra 300 to this, bringing the Vulture's overall length to a grand total of 1,500 feet. The ship gets its name from it's design, making it resemble a large bird of prey. The Vulture's prow is shaped like an enormous beak, while her towering stern sail and the protruding designs behind the bridge vaguely resemble giant feathers.

The Vulture's beak contains a mechanized "jaw" platform which lowers to provide access to the interior of the ship, used to both capture ships, and let the pirate's planes in and out (the lower jaw doubles as a runway). The jaw is usually kept closed while flying. The main hangar, which makes up most of the Vulture's interior, is a cavernous bay capable of holding three full squadrons of fighter planes as well as several cargo aircraft.

A manually-operated gear system originally served to raise and lower the jaw when it proved too slow and cumbersome in emergencies, (as seen in "Plunder and Lightning") Karnage replaced the gears with hydraulics.

Hangar02

As mentioned above, the Iron Vulture can hold up to thirty planes in its main cargo bay. Most of the fighters are usually stored out of sight in smaller adjoining hangars, cleverly concealed behind wall panels. Two large bomb bay doors in the floor of the hangar can be opened to jettison cargo, dump plundered aircraft, or launch fighters. For some operations like deploying submarines, a smaller circular port within the bay doors themselves can be used. Controls to release the bay doors are located in the bridge and at key spots in the hangar; all are linked to an alarm system throughout the ship that sounds when the doors are opened.

Should the flight deck become too crowded for safe takeoffs or landings, a hydraulic lift platform carries planes from the hangar to the upper deck of the Vulture. Other means of access into the ship are two one-man hatches in the upper deck of the Vulture, leading to catwalks suspended at dizzying heights above the hangar floor.

Numerous concealed doors are also installed in the sides of the Vulture's outer hull, though their exact locations are unknown. These hatches, all but forgotten by Karnage and his crew, open directly to the outside and must have been originally designed as emergency escape routes.

The small, round hatches seen here allow access to the Iron Vulture's top deck, while the door at lower right leads from a middle-deck platform to the outside. Both were apparently meant for emergencies.

Lift-platform01

The Iron Vulture is equipped with twelve vertical propeller engines, six on each side of the upper runway. When used on full throttle, they can lift over 100 tons of cargo (exact specifications are unavailable). It is suspected that some internal buoyancy system, possibly helium tanks in the superstructure, bear most of the ship's empty weight. In addition to the vertical engines holding the Iron Vulture aloft, two massive rear-facing prop engines drive the ship forward.

Due to the sheer size of the engine system, the Vulture's engines are powered by turbine generators located deep within the ship. Because of the unique configuration of the vertical engine system, lightning strikes can play havoc with the Iron Vulture's maneuvering.

Start-up time for the engines is remarkably short; the Vulture can be up and flying in under a minute. The Iron Vulture commonly cruises at 35 to 40 miles per hour, but she is capable of exceeding 100 mph at full throttle. Navigation is accomplished by shifting power between the two rear engines as a method of steering. The giant tail fin, which deflects wind flow like a plane's rudder, preserves a stable course.

Since the Iron Vulture was designed as an airborne battleship, its engines conserve as much fuel as possible for maximum efficiency. Huge tanks in the aft of the ship store enough fuel for over an estimated four weeks of nonstop flight! Whenever possible, Karnage lands the Vulture in a remote area of the ocean to conserve its precious fuel supplies and recharge the main generators. The watertight hull of the Vulture enables it to rest indefinitely in the water (just as long as nobody opens the bomb bay doors, that is). No one knows just how Karnage manages to get enough fuel to keep the Iron Vulture operating as often as it does.

The entire ship is controlled from the bridge overlooking the Iron Vulture's prow. In a nod to pirate tradition, the steersman uses an old-fashioned ship's wheel to pilot the craft. Throttle levers control the power of the ship's rear engines while a single lever activates and throttles the main propulsion system. Various gauges and pipes adorn the base of the ship's spacious main windows, which offer a striking view of the Iron Vulture's surroundings. In case the view is obstructed or the steersman simply wants to see behind the Vulture, a ceiling-mounted periscope provides a 360-degree field of visibility. Don Karnage personally commands the ship from a captain's chair bolted to the floor in the middle of the room.

The rest of the Vulture's interior is contained within the huge double hulls on either side of the main hangar. These consist of a veritable maze of corridors, hallways, and catwalks leading to different areas of the ship. The confusing layout of the Iron Vulture means that one unfamiliar with the ship can get lost very easily. Without a map or firsthand knowledge of the ship's interior, a person can wander for what seems like hours through the dimly-lit corridors.

There are many prison cells aboard the ship, which appear to vary in design between episodes.

The communications room of the Iron Vulture is also on the upper level near the aft section of the Vulture. Once a standard multi-frequency transceiver, the ship's radio has been rewired countless times and upgraded with jury-rigged parts and electronics. As a result, the Iron Vulture can pick up frequencies across the entire civilian range plus military and other "shielded" channels. Moreover, it can transmit messages in any of these frequencies as well as in a special "pirate" shortwave signal that authorities are still trying to unscramble.

Patching into secure frequencies is simple for the pirates. As an added bonus, the radio scrambles signals along that same frequency on other planes' radios in the area. The Iron Vulture's radio system can only be accessed from the radio room or the bridge — it is also connected to a retractable loudspeaker underneath the ship for publicly broadcasting Karnage's long-winded announcements. The Vulture's intercom, a separate system, can be accessed at terminals located throughout the ship; the system feeds into the bridge radio to relay messages to those at the helm. Additionally, a small network of voice tubes carries announcements and general orders from the bridge to the main decks, crew quarters, and the Vulture's engine room.

Messages aboard ship can be delivered via radio intercom.

Only the captain's mates and Don Karnage himself have their own private quarters. Any unoccupied rooms are used as storage areas for clothes, equipment, and junk.

Messhall02

There are two main eating areas in the ship — a spacious mess hall which was converted from a munitions hangar, and a smaller private room near the galley itself where Karnage and his more trusted crewmen dine.

Weapons and equipment storage make up the lower deck of the Vulture. A repair booth adjoins the hangar where pirate mechanics modify weapons and patch up damaged fighters. Also on the lower decks is the treasure room, a huge vault holding the Air Pirates' ill-gotten gains. Valuables stored here do not remain on the Vulture very long — the pirates commonly unload their store back at base each month. However, a sizable portion of riches remains on board at all times for the captain's enjoyment.

The Iron Vulture was designed primarily as a giant airborne hangar, but it features several impressive weapons systems that allow it to function independently of fighter support. The Vulture's primary weapons are the enormous front cannons. Among the largest and most powerful weapons ever produced, these huge artillery guns were banned from production soon after the Great War ended. Kept in concealed bays on either side of the Vulture, these cannons are capable of causing massive destruction. In fact, using these guns the Air Pirates may stand a fair chance of eliminating Cape Suzette's cliff defenses. Fortunately, an acute shortage of heavy ammo forces the Pirates to conserve what few shells they have.

Two other large cannons cover the aft section of the Vulture. For broadside attacks, the Iron Vulture deploys six medium cannons hidden behind concealed panels along the sides of the ship. Other weapons aboard the Vulture include numerous small machine guns scattered across the lower hull, as well as a rarely-used topside cannon.

Weapons04

Defensively, the Iron Vulture is one of the most well-armored ships in the air. The strength of the vessel is a testament to its solid construction. Several layers of bolted metal plates and armor form an extremely resilient exterior impervious to most attacks. Vulnerable points include the propeller engines and the bridge, as well as the dozens of portholes scattered across the airship's hull. And even the massive Iron Vulture is no match for a full-scale barrage from fighter planes or cliff guns, a fact which makes Don Karnage particularly inclined to run from a fight once the enemy starts shooting back.

When attacks fail, Karnage commonly employs subterfuge to mask the Vulture's presence, with varying degrees of success. Schemes to sneak the Iron Vulture into Cape Suzette have ranged from the barely plausible to the outlandish — including disguising the ship as an ocean liner, covering it with a blanket of smoke to resemble a storm cloud, and painting it 'invisible.' Each attempt suffers the usual failure attributable to either poor timing or just plain bad luck.

The Air Pirates make it a point to avoid direct confrontation with the authorities whenever possible. Due to this and the irregularity of the pirates' attacks, authorities are hard-pressed to determine the Iron Vulture's location with any certainty. The laws of international airspace also complicate the Air Police's attempts to apprehend the pirates over "free waters." Considering the number of chance encounters and close calls the Vulture has had with coastal fighter planes over the years, it seems only a matter of time before Karnage and his men are caught. But as long as the Iron Vulture roams the airways, the skies will never be truly safe.

Gallery[]


v - e - d
TaleSpin Logo
Media
TaleSpin (Videography/Soundtrack) • Walt Disney's World on Ice: Double Feature... Live!Raw ToonageNES gameGenesis gameComic book
Characters
BalooKit CloudkickerRebecca CunninghamMolly CunninghamWildcatLouie LamountAirplane JaneClementine ClevengerKatie DoddPrincess GraceKing AmokLotta LamourPrince Nevarhas Bin-BroakBandar-logCaptain William StansburyJoe MageeDoctor CooperRick SkyWhistlestop JacksonNanukMyra FoxworthyDetective ThursdayInspector BurrowOscar VandersnootShere KhanKhan's PilotsDon KarnageAir PiratesIvanod SpigotSergeant DunderJack CaseDaring Dan DawsonAce LondonGeneral PattonTrader MoeThaddeus E. KlangKitten KaboodleIgnatiusDr. AxolotlDr. ZibaldoBuffy and Muffy VanderschmereDouglas BensonPrince RudolfChancellor TrampleEmperor Wan LoProfessor Martin TorqueSeymourCovingtonMacKneeSheriff Gomer Cleghorn and Deputy WendellCrazy EdieCool Hands LukeHans and Helga
Episodes
"I Only Have Ice for You" • "Time Waits for No Bear" • "A Touch of Glass" • "It Came From Beneath the Sea Duck" • "The Bigger They Are, the Louder They Oink" • "The Idol Rich" • "Stormy Weather" • "Plunder and Lightning" • "From Here to Machinery" • "Mommy for a Day" • "Molly Coddled" • "Polly Wants a Treasure" • "Vowel Play" • "Bearly Alive" • "Her Chance to Dream" • "All's Whale That Ends Whale" • "The Golden Sprocket of Friendship" • "For a Fuel Dollars More" • "A Bad Reflection on You" • "On a Wing and a Bear" • "A Star is Torn" • "A Spy in the Ointment" • "The Balooest of the Bluebloods" • "A Baloo Switcheroo" • "Whistlestop Jackson, Legend" • "Double or Nothing" • "Feminine Air" • "Last Horizons" • "Flight of the Snow Duck" • "Save the Tiger" • "The Old Man and the Sea Duck" • "War of the Weirds" • "Captains Outrageous" • "The Time Bandit" • "For Whom the Bell Klangs" • "Citizen Khan" • "Gruel and Unusual Punishment" • "Jolly Molly Christmas" • "My Fair Baloo" • "Waiders of the Wost Tweasure" • "Flight School Confidential" • "Bringing Down Babyface" • "Jumping the Guns" • "In Search of Ancient Blunders" • "Louie's Last Stand" • "Sheepskin Deep" • "Pizza Pie in the Sky" • "Baloo Thunder" • "Bullethead Baloo" • "Destiny Rides Again" • "Mach One for the Gipper" • "Stuck on You" • "The Sound and the Furry" • "The Road to Macadamia" • "The Ransom of Red Chimp" • "Your Baloo's in the Mail" • "Paradise Lost" • "The Incredible Shrinking Molly" • "Bygones" • "Flying Dupes"
Locations
Cape SuzetteHigher for HireLouie's PlaceWildcat's HouseboatKhan IndustriesThembriaPirate IslandWalla-Walla-Bing-BangMacadamiaTinabulaPanda-La
Songs
Spin ItI'm GoneHome is Where the Heart IsSky PiratesMonkey In Your TankFriends for Life
Objects
Sea DuckKhan TransportIron VultureSpruce MoosePirate FightersIdol of the Spirit-SwitcherThe Ruby WingsThe Three Bells of Tinabula
See also
The Jungle BookThe Disney Afternoon


v - e - d
DuckTales logo
Media
Shows/Movies: 1987 series (videography) • 2017 seriesWalt Disney's World on Ice: Double Feature... Live!Raw ToonageDuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost LampChibi Tiny TalesThis Duckburg Life

Video Games: Video game (HD remake/Soundtrack) • DuckTales 2The Quest for GoldScrooge's LootDisney Heroes: Battle ModeDisney All-Star RacersDisney All-Star Party
Comics: Comic Books (IDW)
Books: The Secret City Under the SeaSphinx for the Memories and Sir Gyro GearlooseScrooge's Treasure HuntChristmas at the North PoleWebby Saves the Day

Disney Parks
DuckTales World Showcase AdventurePLAY!Donald's Duck Pond
Characters
1987 series: Scrooge McDuckHuey, Dewey, and LouieLaunchpad McQuackWebby VanderquackBentina BeakleyDuckworthChief O'HaraShedlock JonesGyro GearlooseLittle HelperYardarmDoofus DrakeFenton CrackshellDonald DuckLudwig Von DrakeGladstone GanderBubba the Cave DuckAbominable SnowwomanTootsie the TriceratopsSkittlesBlackjackPouponGene the GenieGlittering GoldieMad Dog McGurkFeathers GaloreBurt QuackarachMajor CourageMicro DucksAdmiral GrimmitzKing HomerQueen ArielShawebizadGandra DeeMcPapaMcMamaRoboticaBeagle BoysMa BeaglePeteFlintheart GlomgoldPhantom BlotDijonArgus McSwineMagica De SpellMinima De SpellPoe De SpellEl CapitanJoaquin SlowlyMerlock the MagicianCinnamon TealDracula DuckDr. NoGoodMillionara VanderbucksFritter O'WayLawrence LoudmouthBruno Von BeakArmstrongThe SirensCirceHarpiesYuckalindaQueen GriseldaDjinniTerra-Firmie KingOverlord BulovanSolegoGICU-2Magica's ShadowThe Fear DemonsVacation Van Honk

2017 series: Della DuckLenaBradford BuzzardBentley and Buford BuzzardCaptain PeghookManny the Headless Man-HorsePixiuGabby McStabbersonHack and Slash SmashnikovRoxanne FeatherlyToad Liu HaiMark BeaksFalcon GravesAmunetSabafToth-RaZeusSeleneStorkulesCharybdisBriar and BrambleDarkwing DuckGosalyn MallardMegavoltDon KarnageQuackerjackLiquidatorBlack HeronZan OwlsonFisherMannDrosera occidendumJosé CariocaPanchito PistolesFethry DuckJohn D. RockerduckJeevesGavinGrandpappy BeagleViolet SabrewingUnicornPercival P. PeppingtonNightmare BeastPaddywhackBushrootNegaduckDaisy DuckGoofyChip and Dale Monterey JackZipperGadget HackwrenchKit CloudkickerTaurus BulbaMolly CunninghamLieutenant PenumbraGeneral LunarisMoonlandersMoon MitesGilded ManNeighbor JonesSteelbeakIsabella FinchIndy and Ty SabrewingTri-Crested TittertwillAletheiaVeroKing HonestusEmma GlamourInspector TezukaAkitaStrongbeardHeckaJormungandrPonce de LeonMatilda McDuckEmutilda

Episodes
1987 series

Season One: "The Treasure of the Golden Suns" • "Send in the Clones" • "Sphinx for the Memories" • "Where No Duck Has Gone Before" • "Armstrong" • "Robot Robbers" • "Magica's Shadow War" • "Master of the Djinni" • "Hotel Strangeduck" • "Lost Crown of Genghis Khan" • "Duckman of Aquatraz" • "The Money Vanishes" • "Sir Gyro de Gearloose" • "Dinosaur Ducks" • "Hero for Hire" • "Superdoo!" • "Maid of the Myth" • "Down and Out in Duckburg" • "Much Ado About Scrooge" • "Top Duck" • "Pearl of Wisdom" • "The Curse of Castle McDuck" • "Launchpad's Civil War" • "Sweet Duck of Youth" • "Earth Quack" • "Home Sweet Homer" • "Bermuda Triangle Tangle" • "Micro Ducks from Outer Space" • "Back to the Klondike" • "Horse Scents" • "Scrooge's Pet" • "Catch as Cash Can" • "Merit-Time Adventure" • "The Golden Fleecing" • "Ducks of the West" • "Time Teasers" • "Back Out in the Outback" • "Raiders of the Lost Harp" • "The Right Duck" • "Scroogerello" • "Double-O-Duck" • "Luck o' the Ducks" • "Duckworth's Revolt" • "Magica's Magic Mirror"/"Take Me Out of the Ballgame" • "Duck to the Future" • "Jungle Duck" • "Launchpad's First Crash" • "Dime Enough for Luck" • "Duck in the Iron Mask" • "The Uncrashable Hindentanic" • "The Status Seekers" • "Nothing to Fear" • "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. McDuck" • "Once Upon a Dime" • "Spies in Their Eyes" • "All Ducks on Deck" • "Ducky Horror Picture Show" • "Till Nephews Do Us Part"
Season Two: "Time is Money" • "Super DuckTales"
Season Three: "The Land of Trala La" • "Allowance Day" • "Bubbeo & Juliet" • "The Good Muddahs" • "My Mother the Psychic" • "Metal Attraction" • "Dough Ray Me" • "Bubba's Big Brainstorm" • "The Big Flub" • "A Case of Mistaken Secret Identity" • "Blue Collar Scrooge" • "Beaglemania" • "Yuppy Ducks" • "The Bride Wore Stripes" • "The Unbreakable Bin" • "Attack of the Fifty-Foot Webby" • "The Masked Mallard" • "A DuckTales Valentine"
Season Four: "Ducky Mountain High" • "Attack of the Metal Mites" • "The Duck Who Knew Too Much" • "New Gizmo-Kids on the Block" • "Scrooge's Last Adventure" • "The Golden Goose"

2017 series
Season One: "Woo-oo!" • "Daytrip of Doom!" • "The Great Dime Chase!" • "The Beagle Birthday Massacre!" • "Terror of the Terra-firmians!" • "The House of the Lucky Gander!" • "The Infernal Internship of Mark Beaks!" • "The Living Mummies of Toth-Ra!" • "The Impossible Summit of Mt. Neverrest!" • "The Spear of Selene!" • "Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!" • "The Missing Links of Moorshire!" • "McMystery at McDuck McManor!" • "JAW$!" • "The Golden Lagoon of White Agony Plains!" • "Day of the Only Child!" • "From the Confidential Casefiles of Agent 22!" • "Who is Gizmoduck?!" • "The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck!" • "Sky Pirates...in the Sky!" • "The Secret(s) of Castle McDuck!" • "The Last Crash of the Sunchaser!" • "The Shadow War!"
Season Two: "The Most Dangerous Game...Night!" • "The Depths of Cousin Fethry!" • "The Ballad of Duke Baloney!" • "The Town Where Everyone Was Nice!" • "Storkules in Duckburg!" • "Last Christmas!" • "What Ever Happened to Della Duck?!" • "Treasure of the Found Lamp!" • "The Outlaw Scrooge McDuck!" • "The 87 Cent Solution!" • "The Golden Spear!" • "Nothing Can Stop Della Duck!" • "Raiders of the Doomsday Vault!" • "Friendship Hates Magic!" • "The Dangerous Chemistry of Gandra Dee!" • "The Duck Knight Returns!" • "What Ever Happened to Donald Duck?!" • "Happy Birthday, Doofus Drake!" • "A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill!" • "The Golden Armory of Cornelius Coot!" • "Timephoon!" • "GlomTales!" • "The Richest Duck in the World!" • "Moonvasion!"
Season Three "Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks!" • "Quack Pack!" • "Double-O-Duck in You Only Crash Twice!" • "The Lost Harp of Mervana!" • "Louie's Eleven!" • "Astro B.O.Y.D.!" • "The Rumble for Ragnarok!" • "The Phantom and the Sorceress!" • "They Put a Moonlander on the Earth!" • "The Trickening!" • "The Forbidden Fountain of the Foreverglades!" • "Let's Get Dangerous!" • "Escape from the ImpossiBin!" • "The Split Sword of Swanstantine!" • "New Gods on the Block!" • "The First Adventure!" • "The Fight for Castle McDuck!" • "How Santa Stole Christmas!" • "Beaks in the Shell!" • "The Lost Cargo of Kit Cloudkicker!" • "The Life And Crimes of Scrooge McDuck!" • "The Last Adventure!"

Locations
DuckburgAtlantisThe Money BinMcDuck ManorCastle McDuckFountain of YouthScotlandNotre DuckValley of the Golden SunsSt. CanardCape Suzette
Organizations
Air PiratesF.O.W.L.Junior WoodchucksS.H.U.S.H.
Objects
Number One DimeJunior Woodchucks GuidebookGizmosuitGene's LampMerlock's TalismanSun CoinSun ChaserHarp of TroyMillennium ShortcutGyro's HelicopterMolecular ManipulatorGolden GooseWebby's Quacky Patch DollHindentanicMagic MedallionRatcatcherJewel of AtlantisPep!Gummiberry JuiceIron VulturePirate FightersSpear of SeleneSea DuckRanger Plane
Songs
DuckTales ThemeThree Cheers for Bubba DuckBoogie Beagle BluesMoon Stage ThemeSky PiratesThe Three CaballerosHear My Voice
See also
Carl BarksThe Disney AfternoonDarkwing DuckQuack PackDisney XD (Netherlands)Let's Go to Disneyland Paris
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