Charles Kinnear

Charles Kinnear is a minor character and Stranger featured in Red Dead Redemption, and is mentioned in Red Dead Redemption 2. He initiates the Stranger side-mission "Deadalus and Son".

History

Background

Kinnear is a scientist with an interest in the flight of birds and relicating it as a human.

Events of Red Dead Redemption

Players can locate him in Mexico near Roca de Madera with an incomplete glider. Kinnear had come to this location for testing the glider but needed some more parts to complete it. He requires 5 Beaver Fur, 20 bird feathers(12 in the Game of the Year edtion) (of any type, and in any combination), and 10 Red Sage. Upon fetching the materials for the glider, Kinnear enthusiastically thanks Marston for his contributions. The player is instructed to return to the spot a few days later.

The next time Marston meets Kinnear, he has completed his glider. Kinnear regales Marston with a short speech about the inborn ability of birds to fly and the difficulty man has of replicating it. He gives Marston a final thumbs up, screaming "into the wild blue yonder, Marston!" before leaping off the cliff with a maniacal laugh only to quickly discover his glider was not properly constructed (signified by a loud cracking noise after he travels a little bit), after a final isolated gasp of "...oh dear!", Kinnear plummets towards the ground below.

The player can investigate the crashed glider at the bottom of the cliff. If, first, the player investigates the glider with the sniper rifle's scope or binoculars, Kinnear's body can be visible near the glider. However, upon visiting the site, Kinnear's body is in front of the glider.

Mission appearances

Red Dead Redemption

"Deadalus and Son"

Tips

After the crash it is possible to get down the cliff and loot his body if you use an alternative method to the roads. This can be done by:

To the left, notice a large indent in the cliffside with only about a 10ft drop. Proceed to jump onto this section.
Now look to the left on this platform and there is a much larger drop, aim to jump for the slight platform sticking out and John should tumble to the bottom damaged but alive.
Walk over to Charles Kinnear and loot his body. Players find a Survivalist Map, but nothing more.

A relatively safer way of getting to Kinnear's body can be done:

First the player needs one Moonshine and optionally some Medicine just in case there are wolves at the base of the cliff.
Next the player needs a stagecoach. There are usually plenty passing by the road where the player meets Kinnear, and there's always one nearby at Casa Madrugada (If the player's honor is high enough, carjacking this one won't count as a crime.) Since travelling too far from the body makes it disappear, the player needs to park the stagecoach on the top of the cliff before initiating the cutscene where Kinnear dies.
Once Kinnear is dead, the player can now get back on the stagecoach and go full speed off the cliff (it is recommended the player tries to aim for the 10ft drop mentioned above.) Be sure to equip your revolver.
The moment the player falls, immediately use the moonshine, aim your gun, and activate Dead Eye. The player must keep dead eye active as long as possible because this makes Marston invincible to damage. (Not doing so and driving off the cliff will fling Marston off the stagecoach doing somersaults in the air before he hits the ground hard and dead.) The horses will die and the wagon will tumble down the cliffs but so long as Marston stays in dead eye he will stay on the stagecoach.
Eventually Dead Eye will run out and the player will fall off his seat but by then the player is already a safe distance from the ground that Marston will roll a bit down the cliff but live. Wolves may try to attack Marston while he's on the ground but if the player survives until Marston stands up, they can use the Medicine and fend off the wolves then they can loot Kinnear's body in peace.

Trivia

If the mission is initiated with John Marston and completed with Jack Marston, Kinnear will comment that "The years have been kind to you" indicating that he believes Jack is John. He can also greet Jack with the somewhat poignant, "Were you sent by that nice man?"
He shares the same voice actor as Howard Sawicki.
In "The Last Enemy To Be Destroyed" John and Jack's last conversation covers the invention of the first flying machines. John says "A machine that could turn men into angels" in a sorrowful way, possibly thinking of Charles falling to his death.
In the Red Dead Redemption 2 Cinema film "One of the Wonders of the Age: Manflight," Kinnear is mentioned alongside his brother and father.
A cigarette card exists for the manned glider claim that he invented in 1893. In real life, however, the glider was invented by Sir George Cayley in 1853, forty years beforehand. It is unknown if Kinnear was simply unaware of Cayley's achievement decades prior or sought to supplant his predecessor in the annals of history.
In Red Dead Redemption 2 the name 'Charles Kinnear' is embroidered onto the tail wing of the Crashed Airship, a point of interest in Cholla Springs, New Austin.

Gallery

Achievements/Trophies

Aiding Strangers will contribute toward the following Trophies/Achievements:

	STRANGE THINGS ARE AFOOT 10 gamerscore Bronze bronze Complete a task for a Stranger.

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	PEOPLE ARE STILL STRANGE 25 gamerscore Silver silver Complete 15 tasks for Strangers.