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Il2 1CGS pics "StuG"

By 76.IAP-Blackbird,

Here are some interior shots from the soon to be released StuG. The exterior is still in final prep and not ready for presentation yet.
As soon as they are, I will post them as well.
As soon as they are, I will post them as well.
Il2 DD Update Dev Blog 333 "StuG"

By 76.IAP-Blackbird,

Dear Friends,
Very soon - next week - we'll publish the next update that is planned to bring (provided no critical problems are found during the beta testing) the long-awaited StuG III and C-47A, AND the WIP Western Front Spring 1918 map (!). We have told about the legendary Skytrain in one of our previous Dev Blogs, so today's star is StuG.III Ausf.G.
There were many StuG.III self-propelled guns produced during the war, more than 9000 units spanning around 10 modifications. The Ausführung G that is recreated by our very talented partners at Digital Forms was the later one, having the heaviest gun and armor of all of them. The vehicle represented was built on the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M base, so it has nearly the same chassis, engine and transmission. The fighting compartment, however, was completely rebuilt: replacing the turret with the welded armored superstructure granted it enough internal volume to accomodate the bigger 75 mm StuK 40/L48 gun. Its barrel and ballistics are similar to KwK.40 L/48 installed on Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G and later ones. This gun used the same ammo as 7,5 cm Pak. 40 AT gun.
Unlike the tank gun equipped with a telescopic gunsight designed for direct fire, the StuG.III gun had Sfl. ZF 1a artillery periscope marked for thre ammo types - APHE, sub-caliber AP and HE. Late StuG III modifications were equipped by infantry MG34 machinegun with box magazines stored in the fighting compartment. To fire it, the loader had to get out of his hatch, raise the armored shield and set the machinegun up in one of the two positions - for firing at air or ground targets. Schurzen armor plates for protection against AT rifles and shaped charges could be also installed.
Six one-shot smoke mortars could be also installed. Sure enoungh, not only we modeled them in the game, but we couldn't resist and upgraded the two previously released Tank Crew tanks with this weapon - Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M and Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.H1 Tiger.
All in all, StuG.III is a light enough to be maneuverable, but also has a good frontal armor protection and a powerful main weapon. As we mentioned above, it will be available to its owners very soon.
Very soon - next week - we'll publish the next update that is planned to bring (provided no critical problems are found during the beta testing) the long-awaited StuG III and C-47A, AND the WIP Western Front Spring 1918 map (!). We have told about the legendary Skytrain in one of our previous Dev Blogs, so today's star is StuG.III Ausf.G.
There were many StuG.III self-propelled guns produced during the war, more than 9000 units spanning around 10 modifications. The Ausführung G that is recreated by our very talented partners at Digital Forms was the later one, having the heaviest gun and armor of all of them. The vehicle represented was built on the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M base, so it has nearly the same chassis, engine and transmission. The fighting compartment, however, was completely rebuilt: replacing the turret with the welded armored superstructure granted it enough internal volume to accomodate the bigger 75 mm StuK 40/L48 gun. Its barrel and ballistics are similar to KwK.40 L/48 installed on Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G and later ones. This gun used the same ammo as 7,5 cm Pak. 40 AT gun.
Unlike the tank gun equipped with a telescopic gunsight designed for direct fire, the StuG.III gun had Sfl. ZF 1a artillery periscope marked for thre ammo types - APHE, sub-caliber AP and HE. Late StuG III modifications were equipped by infantry MG34 machinegun with box magazines stored in the fighting compartment. To fire it, the loader had to get out of his hatch, raise the armored shield and set the machinegun up in one of the two positions - for firing at air or ground targets. Schurzen armor plates for protection against AT rifles and shaped charges could be also installed.
Six one-shot smoke mortars could be also installed. Sure enoungh, not only we modeled them in the game, but we couldn't resist and upgraded the two previously released Tank Crew tanks with this weapon - Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M and Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.H1 Tiger.
All in all, StuG.III is a light enough to be maneuverable, but also has a good frontal armor protection and a powerful main weapon. As we mentioned above, it will be available to its owners very soon.
Il2 1CGS pics "Fw-190D9"

By 76.IAP-Blackbird,

Hello Gentleman,
Good Day and I hope you enjoy your time. 1C is under a new CEO and on the 9th November we will learn more about the direction the company will go in the future.
Until then, let me show you some nice render of the ingame models for the Great Battle Series. There will be more to show in the future and I hope you guys will like it.
You can discuss it here and enjoy the bright future of this Series.
Wish you fun and always enough air under your wings.
Berst regards
Martin
Good Day and I hope you enjoy your time. 1C is under a new CEO and on the 9th November we will learn more about the direction the company will go in the future.
Until then, let me show you some nice render of the ingame models for the Great Battle Series. There will be more to show in the future and I hope you guys will like it.
You can discuss it here and enjoy the bright future of this Series.
Wish you fun and always enough air under your wings.
Berst regards
Martin
Il2 DD Update Dev Blog 331 "C-47A"

By 76.IAP-Blackbird,

Dear Friends,
Today we'll tell you about the development progress on two other Collector Planes. The first one of them is the C-47A Skytrain. C-47A was a military modification of the civil passenger aircraft DC-3 that had the reinforced floor and large door on the left side for cargo and different radio equipment. The cargo/passenger cabin windows had gun ports for small arms firing. The Skytrain name was used in the US, British called it Dakota, while in USSR it was known as Douglas. Li-2 planes (a licensed modification of DC-3 with Soviet ASh-62 engines, Soviet cockpit instruments and armament) were also called 'Douglas'.
The DC-3/C-47 family was the most popular transport aircraft of the war. The model we have in the sim can accommodate a general cargo, air-droppable cargo containers in the cabin, the same containers attached under the fuselage and paratroopers. Having the takeoff weight of up to 14 tons, the aircraft could carry up to 2,5 tons of cargo (more than 3 tons if overweight). The main disadvantage was its low speed, which adversely affected its usage in airborne operations. However, it was very easy to pilot and had good performance characteristics, which made it a real workhorse of the war. The long-awaited feature - make it player controllable - should be ready soon. Our engineers and artists from Yugra-Media are working to make it available to you as soon as possible.
The second plane we'd like to tell you about today is the late WWI fighter with rotative engine, the epitome of the British aircraft design school - Sopwith Snipe single seater. This aircraft is being developed from scratch since we did not make it for Rise of Flight previously. This very maneuverable, fast enough aircraft that was armed with two synchronized Vickers machine guns could confront the best German aircraft of that time. The new 9-cylinder 230 HP rotative engine Bentley BR2 had 100 HP more than the Clerget 9B engine installed on the very successful Sopwith Camel - a huge increase. The upper wing was shifted lower to give the pilot a better view forward and up. The work on the 3D model of this bird by Yugra-media artists is nearly finished and the work of our engineers is underway - we hope to release it for customers this year, which means really soon in fact.
Speaking of WWI we should mention that the Flying Circus Vol.II map had good progress. We should be able to start the beta-testing of this Spring 1918 map in the near future and it will be released soon after that. In Early Access the players will be able to use the new map in QMB and create single and multiplayer missions. After that we'll have to complete the work on the Flying Circus Career mode and update the map according to the customer feedback. We count on Yugra-media designers to use the new approaches that were adopted by our map designers during the work on the Normandy map to achieve the next level of the visual quality and fidelity compared to the old Rise of Flight map. And last but not the least - according to the player feedback we have revised the WWI airplanes damage from rifle caliber ammo - the evolution and the improvement of all the parts of IL-2 continues.
Today we'll tell you about the development progress on two other Collector Planes. The first one of them is the C-47A Skytrain. C-47A was a military modification of the civil passenger aircraft DC-3 that had the reinforced floor and large door on the left side for cargo and different radio equipment. The cargo/passenger cabin windows had gun ports for small arms firing. The Skytrain name was used in the US, British called it Dakota, while in USSR it was known as Douglas. Li-2 planes (a licensed modification of DC-3 with Soviet ASh-62 engines, Soviet cockpit instruments and armament) were also called 'Douglas'.
The DC-3/C-47 family was the most popular transport aircraft of the war. The model we have in the sim can accommodate a general cargo, air-droppable cargo containers in the cabin, the same containers attached under the fuselage and paratroopers. Having the takeoff weight of up to 14 tons, the aircraft could carry up to 2,5 tons of cargo (more than 3 tons if overweight). The main disadvantage was its low speed, which adversely affected its usage in airborne operations. However, it was very easy to pilot and had good performance characteristics, which made it a real workhorse of the war. The long-awaited feature - make it player controllable - should be ready soon. Our engineers and artists from Yugra-Media are working to make it available to you as soon as possible.
The second plane we'd like to tell you about today is the late WWI fighter with rotative engine, the epitome of the British aircraft design school - Sopwith Snipe single seater. This aircraft is being developed from scratch since we did not make it for Rise of Flight previously. This very maneuverable, fast enough aircraft that was armed with two synchronized Vickers machine guns could confront the best German aircraft of that time. The new 9-cylinder 230 HP rotative engine Bentley BR2 had 100 HP more than the Clerget 9B engine installed on the very successful Sopwith Camel - a huge increase. The upper wing was shifted lower to give the pilot a better view forward and up. The work on the 3D model of this bird by Yugra-media artists is nearly finished and the work of our engineers is underway - we hope to release it for customers this year, which means really soon in fact.
Speaking of WWI we should mention that the Flying Circus Vol.II map had good progress. We should be able to start the beta-testing of this Spring 1918 map in the near future and it will be released soon after that. In Early Access the players will be able to use the new map in QMB and create single and multiplayer missions. After that we'll have to complete the work on the Flying Circus Career mode and update the map according to the customer feedback. We count on Yugra-media designers to use the new approaches that were adopted by our map designers during the work on the Normandy map to achieve the next level of the visual quality and fidelity compared to the old Rise of Flight map. And last but not the least - according to the player feedback we have revised the WWI airplanes damage from rifle caliber ammo - the evolution and the improvement of all the parts of IL-2 continues.
DCS News November 2022

By MigBuster,

Welcome to the DCS Halloween 2022 Sale! Enjoy huge discounts across most of the aircraft, maps and campaigns on our eShop now! This super sale will start on the 28th of October and will last until the 6th of November exclusively on our e-shop and offers 50% discount on most of our modules with 30% off DCS: Supercarrier, F/A-18C Hornet, and F-16C Viper as well as 25% off DCS: F-14 Tomcat! Please check out our DCS Halloween 2022 Sale video!
At last we are delighted to inform you that our latest DCS World version 2.8 has been released. This large quality of life update improves several core features of DCS including the weather system, lighting, jet dogfight AI, Mission Editor options, and more. New terrain lighting technology has been introduced for the DCS: Persian Gulf. Make sure to view the Development Screenshots. As always, we look forward to your valuable feedback. Read the full changelog here.
Finally, our third party developer IndiaFoxtEcho is proud to announce that DCS: MB-339 is available from our eShop and from Steam. This exceptionally capable aircraft is really worth a look. Check out the details of this remarkable trainer, light attack, and aerobatic aircraft and enjoy the MB-339 Launch Trailer.
We wish you and your family all the very best for Halloween and thank you for your passion and support.
Thank you for your passion and support.
Yours sincerely,
Eagle Dynamics
Halloween
2022 Spooky Sale
The DCS Halloween 2022 Sale gives you great savings of up to 50% across our most popular products. Head over to our Shop for an exclusive sale until the 6th of November at 23:59 GMT. Due to Steam Halloween Sale criteria, this promotion is not available on Steam.
DCS 2.8
Progress
We are excited about the release of DCS version 2.8. This update includes some long-requested improvements such as moving clouds and weather effects, HOTAS updates, new jet aircraft AI Basic Fighter Maneuvers (BFM), multicrew sync enhancements, an F10 compass mode, Module Manager groups, and more! The Persian Gulf map also includes new, dynamic light sources like street lamps and airfield flood lights.
MB-339
Release
The MB-339 is an Italian, single engine, twin seat, jet trainer and light attack aircraft that was derived from the Cold War MB-326. The aircraft entered service in the early 1980s and quickly became the primary trainer of the Italian Air Force.
The MB-339 was exported and many are still in service. Flown by the Armada de la República Argentina (Argentine Navy), this aircraft took part in the Falklands-Malvinas war. It was also used by the Eritrean Air Force against rebels, smugglers, and the Ethiopian Air Force.
Historic operators of the A version of the MB-339 were the Air Forces of Italy, Malaysia, Nigeria, Peru, United Arab Emirates, Argentina and Ghana. Thanks to its superb flying qualities, the MB-339’s PAN aerobatic version is also used by two national aerobatic teams: The “Frecce Tricolori” (Italian Air Force) and the “Al Fursan” (“The Knights” – UAE Air Force). The MB-339 is the only jet aircraft capable of performing the famous Lomcovák maneuver.
The MB-339 will be released in an almost feature-complete state. Some of the most interesting features available at release include:
A highly advanced Flight Model based on performance and engineering data from the real aircraft. Furthermore, the flight model has been deeply tested by former MB-339 Frecce Tricolori pilots.
Extensive and detailed simulation of all flight systems:
Flight control system.
Full electrical system including circuit breakers logic.
Detailed hydraulic system.
Fuel system.
Oxygen and pressurization systems.
Navigation systems: TACAN, VOR/ILS, and AHRS/GPS including the possibility to load a custom data cartridge.
Blind flying hood.
Radios compatible with SRS and DCS voice.
Internal and external lighting.
Armament system.
Smoke system.
A highly accurate 3D model that is based on blueprints and surveys of the real MB-339. The model includes a complete set of animations, lighting and a detailed damage model.
A very accurate 6-DOF (Degrees of Freedom) cockpit with realistic and detailed instruments, controls, and textures. The cockpit is VR-ready.
Weapons:
Anti runway Durandal.
Cluster Belouga bombs.
BAP-120 and BAP-100.
Pod conformal cannons DEFA 553 30mm.
Pod conformal machine guns AN-M3 12.7mm.
Pod conformal camera (only visual at release).
Travel pod.
LR-25-0 (or AL-25-50) for 50mm rockets SNIA.
50mm rockets Snia ARF-8/M3 (API/HEI/TP).
BRD-4-250 for training bombs Mk-76 /MK-106 and 2 50mm rockets.
Mk-76 for BRD without hook, Italian labels.
MK-106 for BRD without hook, Italian labels.
Included with the purchase of the MB-339 is an array of country liveries. Several training and practice missions, single player missions, and instant action missions are included. Also available at launch is a mini campaign and an exhaustive PDF user manual. We look forward to your feedback!
Available now
Thank you again for your passion and support,
Yours sincerely,
Eagle Dynamics
Il2 DD Update Dev Blog 330 "Spitfire MK XIV"

By 76.IAP-Blackbird,

Dear Friends,
The work continues. At the moment we're working on the schedule of the new project, new techs, compiling design documents for the new aircraft and other objects - and along with all that we're developing the six Collector Planes, some of which will be released before the end of this year and some in the beginning of the next one. One of them is the British fighter Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIVe "Bubbletop". Unlike the Spitfire Mk.XIV already existing in the sim, this one has a bubble canopy without the dorsal fuselage spine.
Many WWII fighters had such modification - the goal was the improved backward field of view. However, the dorsal spine wasn't there for nothing - it provided better aerodynamics via better airflow behind the canopy, reducing total drag of the aircraft. Nearly all pre-war aircraft designs had it because of a bit higher speed, but the actual war, as it usually does in human history, set the priorities differently.
In the beginning of the war two Axis design bureaus tried a different canopy and rear fuselage design: there were Focke-Wulf Fw 190 designed by Kurt Tank and Mitsubishi A6M Zero designed by Jiro Horikoshi. They weren't the first fighters with bubble canopies and without a dorsal spine behind, but they were the fighters that were quite numerous and affected the air battles on either side of the Earth. The bubble canopy without the dorsal spine affected the aerodynamics negatively, but it gave the pilots much better view backwards - this was noted not only by them, but by their adversaries as well, since an air engagement was usually initiated by a sudden attack from a blind zone.
Soviet engineers created bubble canopy modifications of the existing aircraft in the end of 1942 and in 1943 these models were produced on a massive scale. Their Western colleagues adopted it later and bubble canopy modifications began to emerge in 1944. Bubbletop Spitfire Mk.XIV appeared a year after the initial design, in April 1945.
In Great Battles, Spitfire Mk.XIVe "bubbletop" will have two wing variations - with long (fighter) and short (photo recon) wingtips. As we always do, there will be other modifications included. Spitfire Mk.XIVe bubbletop will be released in the beginning of the next Spring, which is a bit symbolic, since, as we mentioned above, the real fighter appeared on the front during Spring 1945.
The work continues. At the moment we're working on the schedule of the new project, new techs, compiling design documents for the new aircraft and other objects - and along with all that we're developing the six Collector Planes, some of which will be released before the end of this year and some in the beginning of the next one. One of them is the British fighter Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIVe "Bubbletop". Unlike the Spitfire Mk.XIV already existing in the sim, this one has a bubble canopy without the dorsal fuselage spine.
Many WWII fighters had such modification - the goal was the improved backward field of view. However, the dorsal spine wasn't there for nothing - it provided better aerodynamics via better airflow behind the canopy, reducing total drag of the aircraft. Nearly all pre-war aircraft designs had it because of a bit higher speed, but the actual war, as it usually does in human history, set the priorities differently.
In the beginning of the war two Axis design bureaus tried a different canopy and rear fuselage design: there were Focke-Wulf Fw 190 designed by Kurt Tank and Mitsubishi A6M Zero designed by Jiro Horikoshi. They weren't the first fighters with bubble canopies and without a dorsal spine behind, but they were the fighters that were quite numerous and affected the air battles on either side of the Earth. The bubble canopy without the dorsal spine affected the aerodynamics negatively, but it gave the pilots much better view backwards - this was noted not only by them, but by their adversaries as well, since an air engagement was usually initiated by a sudden attack from a blind zone.
Soviet engineers created bubble canopy modifications of the existing aircraft in the end of 1942 and in 1943 these models were produced on a massive scale. Their Western colleagues adopted it later and bubble canopy modifications began to emerge in 1944. Bubbletop Spitfire Mk.XIV appeared a year after the initial design, in April 1945.
In Great Battles, Spitfire Mk.XIVe "bubbletop" will have two wing variations - with long (fighter) and short (photo recon) wingtips. As we always do, there will be other modifications included. Spitfire Mk.XIVe bubbletop will be released in the beginning of the next Spring, which is a bit symbolic, since, as we mentioned above, the real fighter appeared on the front during Spring 1945.