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Il2 Update 5.201 Update released
By 76.IAP-Blackbird,
Dear Friends,
The huge update 5.201 is live. It contains three major additions and a number of other fixes and improvements.
Flying Circus Vol.III is now officially released and is available on our website and on Steam.
Most of the Flying Circus Vol.III aircraft were already available via the Early Access program - the last one is the R.E.8 two-seater, a very versatile aircraft for its time (it began to reach the front in late 1916). It was designed to carry radio and photographic equipment for reconnaissance and artillery spotting, and a small bomb load on underwing racks. For more information on this airplane, please read our Dev Blog#354.
In total, Flying Circus Vol.III contains 8 early Great War aircraft: the Albatros D.II, Halberstadt D.II, Nieuport 11.C1, French Nieuport 17.C1, Nieuport 17.C1 adapted for British service, and Hanriot HD.1 fighters, and the R.E.8. and F.E.2b two-seater reconnaissance planes. Updates to the Western Front map to include the entire frontline, many new objects and settlements, and five seasons - Summer, Autumn, late Autumn, Winter, and Spring.
The WWI Pilot's Career mode has also been updated - it now starts earlier, in 1916, includes all available WWI era aircraft including FC Vol.III and Collector, takes advantage of the updated map and uses all of its seasons. Please note that the updated map and career mode are also available to owners of any Flying Circus volume (If you don't see the new map seasons immediately, please wait a few hours - they are being assigned to eligible accounts on the server). It is recommended that all FC players start a new WWI career, however we have been able to keep the old FC careers playable - they don't include the new additions and are unsupported, but you should be able to finish an existing WWI career if you wish. Another fascinating addition is a new aircraft type, something we haven't had in the sim before - a player-controlled military glider. In our simulator, the visual model of the CG-4A glider was restored with great care, and our engineers recreated in its new virtual life all the main features of its control and use. It should be noted that this is a new class of objects for our simulator and we have developed a number of technologies to make its realization possible - for example, a flexible towing cable. In addition to the Quick Mission Builder and multiplayer modes, if you have the Normandy and/or Bodenplatte modules, you can fly them in career mode on the Western Front during the major airborne operations - Overlord, Market Garden, and Varsity. The third major addition in this update is the short version of the long-awaited IAR-80/81 Collector Plane (the long version is also included in the purchase and will be made available in early 2024 in January or February). We have covered it extensively in our Dev Blog#355. The I.A.R.80-A fighter series 106-150 is the base model for the short version - it has six 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns that fire German ammunition. Its flying capabilities were comparable to those of the Yak-1, but later versions of the IAR had more powerful weapons and bombs: I.A.R.80-B series 181-200 has four 7.92 mm machine guns rather than six, as well as two 13.2mm FN Browning machine guns that fire 13.2 mm Hotchkiss rounds. The I.A.R.80-M has two 20 mm MG-151/20 cannons and two 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns. The I.A.R.81 series 151-175 is equipped with six 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns and can carry up to three bombs weighing up to 400 kg. The underbelly bomb rack has a distinctive parallelogram mechanism, similar to the Ju 87 dive-bomber, preventing bombs from hitting the propeller during dive bombing.
In addition, the Achtung Spitfire! campaign that previously was only available on our website is now released on Steam. 5.201 Changelist The CG-4A Collector Plane has been released; Flying Circus Vol. III has been released - R.E.8 two-seater airplane is added to the sim; Romanian I.A.R.80/81 fighter is available in Early Access (short version, long version will be added in the next update); Added Autumn, Late Autumn/Early Spring, Winter and Summer seasons for the Western Front WWI map (available to either Flying Circus module owners); All Flying Circus Vol.III airplanes have been added to the Pilot's Career mode during WWI timeframe; The accuracy of AI gunners on player-controlled aircraft matches the "Ace" level on AI-controlled aircraft; AI won't turn on the landing light during a daytime approach; A tactical number set by the player is saved; The send message button in multiplayer chat matches the team color; A 100% setting on a control axis should result in 100% value displayed in the technochat instead of 99%; T-34 mod. 1942 and PzKpfW III Ausf. L won't be erroneously listed as part of the Bodenplatte module in the equipment selection menu; Pilot's Career: new options have been added for fine tuning the difficulty level; Assault guns with indirect fire capability (SU-122, SU-152, Stug III Ausf. G, SdKfz 184 Ferdinand) have panoramic sight leveling features to ensure accurate shooting. Ballistic tables added to the Description tab for Stug III Ausf.G and SdKfz 184 Ferdinand ; New training scenarios added for SU-122 (firing at stationary targets and indirect fire); Removed extra aftersounds from the SHKAS machine guns firing sound; Airco DH.4 stabilizer fixed camera position corrected; Pilot protection from the shrapnel corrected on British planes when the canopy is closed; Albatros D.II lower wing aerodynamics data corrected; Li-2 altitude throttle lever function inverted according to its label (forward - poor mixture, reverse - rich); La-5 ser. 8 wing sturdiness corrected; Overlord campaign is updated and translated into French.
In total, Flying Circus Vol.III contains 8 early Great War aircraft: the Albatros D.II, Halberstadt D.II, Nieuport 11.C1, French Nieuport 17.C1, Nieuport 17.C1 adapted for British service, and Hanriot HD.1 fighters, and the R.E.8. and F.E.2b two-seater reconnaissance planes. Updates to the Western Front map to include the entire frontline, many new objects and settlements, and five seasons - Summer, Autumn, late Autumn, Winter, and Spring.
The WWI Pilot's Career mode has also been updated - it now starts earlier, in 1916, includes all available WWI era aircraft including FC Vol.III and Collector, takes advantage of the updated map and uses all of its seasons. Please note that the updated map and career mode are also available to owners of any Flying Circus volume (If you don't see the new map seasons immediately, please wait a few hours - they are being assigned to eligible accounts on the server). It is recommended that all FC players start a new WWI career, however we have been able to keep the old FC careers playable - they don't include the new additions and are unsupported, but you should be able to finish an existing WWI career if you wish. Another fascinating addition is a new aircraft type, something we haven't had in the sim before - a player-controlled military glider. In our simulator, the visual model of the CG-4A glider was restored with great care, and our engineers recreated in its new virtual life all the main features of its control and use. It should be noted that this is a new class of objects for our simulator and we have developed a number of technologies to make its realization possible - for example, a flexible towing cable. In addition to the Quick Mission Builder and multiplayer modes, if you have the Normandy and/or Bodenplatte modules, you can fly them in career mode on the Western Front during the major airborne operations - Overlord, Market Garden, and Varsity. The third major addition in this update is the short version of the long-awaited IAR-80/81 Collector Plane (the long version is also included in the purchase and will be made available in early 2024 in January or February). We have covered it extensively in our Dev Blog#355. The I.A.R.80-A fighter series 106-150 is the base model for the short version - it has six 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns that fire German ammunition. Its flying capabilities were comparable to those of the Yak-1, but later versions of the IAR had more powerful weapons and bombs: I.A.R.80-B series 181-200 has four 7.92 mm machine guns rather than six, as well as two 13.2mm FN Browning machine guns that fire 13.2 mm Hotchkiss rounds. The I.A.R.80-M has two 20 mm MG-151/20 cannons and two 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns. The I.A.R.81 series 151-175 is equipped with six 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns and can carry up to three bombs weighing up to 400 kg. The underbelly bomb rack has a distinctive parallelogram mechanism, similar to the Ju 87 dive-bomber, preventing bombs from hitting the propeller during dive bombing.
In addition, the Achtung Spitfire! campaign that previously was only available on our website is now released on Steam. 5.201 Changelist The CG-4A Collector Plane has been released; Flying Circus Vol. III has been released - R.E.8 two-seater airplane is added to the sim; Romanian I.A.R.80/81 fighter is available in Early Access (short version, long version will be added in the next update); Added Autumn, Late Autumn/Early Spring, Winter and Summer seasons for the Western Front WWI map (available to either Flying Circus module owners); All Flying Circus Vol.III airplanes have been added to the Pilot's Career mode during WWI timeframe; The accuracy of AI gunners on player-controlled aircraft matches the "Ace" level on AI-controlled aircraft; AI won't turn on the landing light during a daytime approach; A tactical number set by the player is saved; The send message button in multiplayer chat matches the team color; A 100% setting on a control axis should result in 100% value displayed in the technochat instead of 99%; T-34 mod. 1942 and PzKpfW III Ausf. L won't be erroneously listed as part of the Bodenplatte module in the equipment selection menu; Pilot's Career: new options have been added for fine tuning the difficulty level; Assault guns with indirect fire capability (SU-122, SU-152, Stug III Ausf. G, SdKfz 184 Ferdinand) have panoramic sight leveling features to ensure accurate shooting. Ballistic tables added to the Description tab for Stug III Ausf.G and SdKfz 184 Ferdinand ; New training scenarios added for SU-122 (firing at stationary targets and indirect fire); Removed extra aftersounds from the SHKAS machine guns firing sound; Airco DH.4 stabilizer fixed camera position corrected; Pilot protection from the shrapnel corrected on British planes when the canopy is closed; Albatros D.II lower wing aerodynamics data corrected; Li-2 altitude throttle lever function inverted according to its label (forward - poor mixture, reverse - rich); La-5 ser. 8 wing sturdiness corrected; Overlord campaign is updated and translated into French.
Operation Desert Storm: 30th Anniversary Edition - v0.9.8 Release Announcement
By Menrva,
Fans of ThirdWire's Strike Fighters, I'm happy to announce an upcoming re-release of Operation Desert Storm: 30th Anniversary Edition, due between this December and next January (yet to be defined).
Since the last public release in January 2022, the development team has worked in spare time for more than a year in overhauling the mod with brand new creations, tons of improvements and bug fixes, additional content and much more. Here below some sneak peeks at what's to come.
With the intent of delivering the most complete Gulf War experience, players will now be able to fly with the three unique F-4G aircraft that were deployed to the conflict with Euro I camo (namely serial numbers 69-0269, 69-7566, 69-7234) and the only Grey colored F-111E (serial number 68-0050) deployed alongside the more common camouflaged F-111Es. F-4G aircraft 3d model and skins courtesy of @ravenclaw_007.
To complement the already huge list of flyable aircraft offered by the mod, new aircraft have been added! Say hi to the wonderful, brand new Mirage F1EQ-5, Mirage F1EQ-6 and Mirage F1CR by @ludo.m54 and his Mirage F1 Team. Moreover, let's welcome a couple of two-seaters; the F-16D-40 Fighting Falcon by @ravenclaw_007 in its Bahraini livery (skins and decals by @Viper63a) and the F-5F available in Royal Saudi Air Force camo and Grey Bahraini livery (skins and decals by @paulopanz).
I decided to allow players to choose from experimental camos devised before the Gulf War for some of the most known aircraft of the war. The A-10As are getting the experimental Flipper and Peanut camouflages (both were meant for the Gulf War, respectively for night time and day time missions) and the F-16C Block 25, serial number 84-1212, gets the unique desert camo it sported during Desert Shield, before it was later decided to remove it. These three new skins have been made by yours truly. The original Lizard camo for the F-16C Block 25 is from the Viper Team, it has been upscaled and detailed a bit more by yours truly, as a bonus.
On the fun side of things, additional skins have been added to important aircraft of the war; these include prototype paint schemes for the F-117 and the F-15E, Iranian liveries for the F-5E, MiG-29, F-14A and F-4E, and the VX-4 black livery for the F-14A. These skins exist only for player use and won't be seen in normal gameplay during the campaign and single missions, so rest assured the mod won't be breaking any reality check by default. The F-117 skins are brand new and made by yours truly.
Okay, so we get to see more variety and beauty in third-person view, but what about cockpits? Numerous cockpits have received a face-lift in the way of brand new textures, mapping fixes, recolouring, better calibrated and standardized HUD colors, corrected view-points and much more. The Mirage Factory's F-14A cockpit now takes the place of the stock one by ThirdWire which looked inappropriate for early 1990s Tomcats, alongside small texture improvements by yours truly. Cockpits for the F-15C, F-15E, RF-4C and for F-7s were revised by yours truly, given hi-res textures and/or proper recoloring for consistency's sake. The S-3 Viking is now flyable, with Foxmonter's original cockpit getting a fresh hi-res repaint by @Viper63a. MiG and Su cockpits received similar treatment by yours truly, and thanks to the works of @OlWilly and @michaelk.
If you've had enough of the sky, do know that our master 3d modelers have been busy producing dozens of brand new 3d models for land and sea warfare. One huge, major update regards the Iraqi ground forces; @yakarov79 produced a vast number of brand new vehicles never seen in a flight simulator before; from exclusive Iraqi versions of known Soviet tanks to not-so common howitzers, proper Iraqi command vehicles, artillery units, APCs and more. The Iraqi ground forces have never been reproduced so accurately before, so you can be sure they are a real treat of the mod.
Coalition units also got a high-definition treatment with brand new objects by fellow @guuruu, including the M270 MLRS, M102 and M110 howitzers; he also worked on brand new ship 3d models, from generic boats and bulk carriers and cargo ships, to the Iraqi Zhuk-class patrol boat. Moreover, he reworked all data and sound design of guns used by most ground objects; guns now feature unified warhead weight based on caliber and standardized light range and tracer size. Ground battles feel much more intense and gun-only dogfights now feel incredibly realistic, as you or the AI can survive multiple hits (whereas in stock Strike Fighters it's usually an unrealistic one-shot one-kill).
The terrain has received noticeable improvements. All terrain objects have been given DetailLevel statements in order for them to be scalable depending on Ground Object graphics settings; this means that less important terrain objects will appear only at Medium, High or Unlimited settings as required. More importantly, Iraq got brand new airbase 3d models by @Jimbib accurately portraying the layouts of the time, alongside a proper Kuwait Int'l airport and Iran's Kharg island airport.
Be on the look-out for easter eggs, especially at Iraq's Tallil Airbase. You'll be able to see @Jimbib's recreation of the Ziggurat of Ur, and you might find a bird by @guuruu inside one of the hangars, seemingly out of context. This actually is an historically correct easter egg; history aviation enthusiasts should know about it.
There's also a not-so secret single mission available for you to experience. It's not Gulf War related, apart from the fact you'll be flying an F/A-18A of the VMFA-314 Black Knights. Mission date? July 4 1996. Hmm, what could it be?
You can tell the amount of effort and passion that went into the mod by reading the complete changelog below.
Changelog:
Remade installer to allow users to install the mod folder to a path of their choice.
Major overhaul of effects with great help by guuruu; improved Stary's Unified Effects package and fixed various issues.
Modified DTV filter data for all avionics files to use a different BlendOp for better visibility at night.
Resized various cockpit and aircraft .TGA textures to improve performance and reduce memory load.
Cleaned up Pilots folder of unnecessary files, fixed few occurrences of missing textures.
Optimized Decals folder, resized void and/or plain color decals to 1px, removed unnecessary decals.
Standardized control keys for all kinds of animations on all aircraft.
Standardized HUD color values, gunsight textures and night lighting for all cockpits.
Added DetailLevel statements to all terrain objects in order for them to be scalable depending on Ground Object graphics settings.
Added new runway models for major Iraqi airports (as well as Kharg Island and Kuwait Int'l airports) recreated very accurately by Jimbib.
Added proper 3d model of the Ziggurat of Ur in the vicinity of Tallil air base, by Jimbib.
Added realistic Easter Egg to Tallil air base, 3d model by guuruu; history aviation enthusiasts should look for an aircraft.
Added four missing Saudi Arabian airports: Buraydah, Al-Artawiyah, Jubail and Al-Khafji.
Added Veltro2k's C-2A(R) aircraft released by Wrench and properly reworked for the ODS environment.
Added FastCargo's F-5F with brand new RSAF and BAAF skins made by paulopanz.
Added brand new Mirage F1CR by the Mirage F1 Team, with specific tweaks for the ODS mod.
Added brand new Mirage F1EQ-5 and Mirage F1EQ-6 aircraft by the Mirage F1 Team, with specific tweaks for the ODS mod.
Added latest versions of the Mirage F1EQ-2, F1EQ-4 and F1EDA aircraft released by the Mirage F1 Team.
Added proper Saudi Arabian E-3A (E-3A with CFM engines) 3d model made by Sundowner, with brand new skin and decals done by PeacePuma.
Added huge ground objects update by yakarov79 with brand new 3d models for tanks, radars, SAMs, howitzers, anti-air guns, vehicles for the Iraqi faction.
Added dozens of nicely detailed 3d models standing in as destroyed models for ground objects, by yakarov79.
Added new, nicely detailed 3d models; M270 MLRS, RORO ship, Zhuk-class patrol boat, Bulk Carrier ship, M102 and M110 howitzers by guuruu.
Added revised weapon data for all AIM missiles including additional sub-variants, all by Crusader, and revised loadouts for aircraft.
Added missing CBU-78 and updated 3d models for some other CBUs, all made by ravenclaw_007.
Added airburst version of the 1000-lb GP Bomb Mk.13 and more realistic SEAD loadouts for the Tornado GR.1, by dtmdragon.
Added smokeless rocket effects by simonmiller416 for the AIM-120A and for all AGM-88s and all AGM-65s.
Added specific Kuwait skin to the BMP-2 ground object by yakarov79, for use in the Invasion of Kuwait campaign.
Added experimental desert camo skin applied on one F-16C Block 25 aircraft before Desert Storm began.
Added experimental Peanut and Flipper A-10A paint schemes conceived for the Gulf War (scrapped before Desert Shield).
Added prototype Lizard camo to the F-15E Strike Eagle as a fun bonus, with its correct serial number.
Added prototype paint schemes to the F-117A Nighthawk as a fun bonus, with proper serial numbers.
Added overhauled skins and decals for all Mirage 2000 aircraft, as well as new hi-res textures for fuel tanks, by ludo.m54.
Added period correct Euro I camo and Shark Mouth skins to the F-4G aircraft with correct ODS serials and decals, by ravenclaw_007.
Added overall grey skin for the F-111E representing the unique 68-0050 serial number that took part in Desert Storm.
Added Improved Countermeasure Effect mod by simonmiller416, increasing realism and improving looks of flares.
Added BQM-34 Firebee by yakarov79 as a target drone eventually for training missions for the Coalition aircraft.
Added KDS-155 dispenser by Coupi to the MiG-25PD, with specific tweaks for use by the AI in the ODS mod.
Added much better detailed AGM-62 Walleye bombs made by ravenclaw_007 in place of old ones.
Added F-16D Block 40 aircraft made by ravenclaw_007, with Bahraini skin and decals previously made for ODS by Viper63a.
Added new hi-res skins and decals for the KC-135s by daddyairplanes with templates produced by yakarov79.
Added Lizard camo skin based on the F/A-16C proposal to the F-16C Block 25 aircraft as a fun bonus, with correct serial numbers.
Added Iranian camo skin to the F-5E aircraft by Crusader as a fun bonus.
Added Iranian camo skin to the MiG-29A aircraft by The Mirage Factory a fun bonus.
Added Iranian camo skins made by ravenclaw_007 to the F-4E aircraft as a fun bonus.
Added Iranian camo skins and VX-4 black livery skin to the F-14A aircraft as a fun bonus.
Added improved sight textures by michaelk for Stary's Su-7 cockpit.
Added M992A2 and proper V-150 APC, 3d models created by GKABS.
Added MovementX and MovementZ data to all cockpits to allow XY slewing for TrackIR users.
Added The Mirage Factory's F-14A cockpit in place of the stock one by ThirdWire, alongside reworked textures and data.
Added Foxmonter's original S-3 Viking cockpit to make the aircraft flyable, with a hi-res repaint by Viper63a.
Added working canopy animation to both aircraft and cockpit 3d models for all MiG-21s/F-7s.
Added shells ejection update for the MiG-29s and reduced MiG-29UB's gun rounds to 50, as suggested by Crusader.
Added KS-3 and KS-4 ejection seats created by 76.IAP-Blackbird and Flogger23 to all Iraqi Fitter aircraft.
Added correct list of serial numbers to the Iraqi skin of the Su-24MK aircraft.
Added reworked, higher resolution strobe light texture for aircraft and runways, for improved in-game looks.
Added numerous real Gulf War pilots to the campaign data and correct ranks for the Iraqi air force.
Added bonus Unknown Contact mission as a fun Easter Egg, inspired by a rare demo video of F22 Total Air War.
Added more RWR sounds specific to certain aircraft in order to increase variety.
Fixed many inaccurate hitboxes for most of the more 170 ground objects included in the mod.
Fixed inaccurate hitboxes and/or collision points still present on few aircraft.
Fixed weapon stations data for the F-117A so that now it carries LGBs only, including GBU-10s.
Fixed weapon stations data for the UAE Mirage 2000s, the RAD variant now carries the Harold recon pod.
Fixed weapon stations data for the F-15E in order to avoid weapon 3d models clipping between each other.
Fixed data for the F-15E so that the AVQ-14 pod does not appear on loadouts with dumb bombs, by dtmdragon.
Fixed wrong gun ammo count for the MiG-21F and the F-7s; the MiG-21F-13 carries 1x60 rounds, the F-7s 2x30 rounds.
Fixed exaggerated BaseRCSModifier value for the F-117A, now it can be targeted by other aircraft.
Fixed exaggerated jammer strength value for the MiG-25PD, now it can be properly locked on by other aircraft.
Fixed AimAngles values for the internal gun on all F-15s, so that the HUD gunsight is properly aligned.
Fixed Hawk's cockpit so that it features correct viewpoint, working HSI, lighter reflections and proper gunsight data.
Fixed some cockpit data for all MiG-21/F-7 cockpits, as found in a topic written by Crusader.
Fixed misplaced RWR screen on the Jaguar GR.1A's cockpit 3d model.
Fixed misplaced wingtip vortex effects on all F-111s, all Su-20/22s, the MiG-23UB and the Su-24MK.
Fixed missing exhaust emitters on the A-10A and OA-10A aircraft.
Fixed exhaust emitters on the AV-8B so that they appear not just on thrust vectoring controls.
Fixed nose landing gear being textured improperly on the S-3 aircraft.
Fixed pilot's head stuck looking in the same direction on the AV-8B aircraft.
Fixed excessive fuel flow values and sluggish flight model on all F-16C aircraft.
Fixed wrong, outdated flight models and data for all F-15 aircraft.
Fixed few loadout.ini files referencing the AGM-84A instead of the more period correct AGM-84D.
Fixed few gun sounds not playing in-game due to their filenames containing a dot character.
Fixed overlapping parking spot reported by Viper63a on Ali Al-Salem and Ahmed Al-Jaber airfields by Jimbib.
Improved terrain target areas and objects, removed unused and duplicate terrain objects.
Improved AI altitude and strafe, rocket and bomb attack values to reduce weird flight behavior at low altitudes.
Improved ViewList.ini file, now you can take better screenshots of your preferred aircraft and gameplay instant.
Improved and optimized all files of the Sounds folder, now being less than half the original size for faster loading, by guuruu.
Improved guns data, now featuring unified warhead weight based on caliber, standardized light range and tracer size, by guuruu.
Improved visibility of ground objects at night through the DTV camera by increasing MaxVisibleDistance, by guuruu.
Improved aircraft data for all Mirage F1s for proper AI use of ECM and countermeasures, by pvince.
Improved all MiG-21 cockpits with reworked gunsight and cockpit textures, removed gunsights embedded into the 3d models.
Improved F-7B and F-7M cockpit textures by using the hi-res repaints of MiG-21 cockpits by comrad.
Improved MiG-25 cockpit and avionics with tweaks done by OlWilly.
Improved MiG-23 cockpits between variants with OlWilly's improvements and with different gunsight textures.
Improved Su-7 cockpit with fixed typos and additional tweaks, by OlWilly.
Improved A-6E cockpit by reworking few textures and by making the bombing gunsight reasonably sized.
Improved RF-4C cockpit by using and tweaking hi-res cockpit textures by streakeagle made for the F-4 cockpits of SF1.
Improved F-15C and F-15E cockpits, repainted HUD glass and needles, moved misaligned 3d model parts through .ini tricks.
Improved F-16A cockpit with more accurate position of indicator light boxes.
Improved little skin texture details on the MiG-23UB, added cockpit files to make it flyable by the player.
Improved small texture details on the F-7B, F-7M and Hawk aircraft.
Improved F-5E with flight model and cockpit tweaks by baffmeister.
Improved exhaust emitter effect size on most aircraft, by guuruu.
Improved viewing angles in all F-16C cockpits to feel more natural, as suggested by TaktischesGenie.
Improved SpeechText subtitles, now on par with the Speech Enhancement mod by yours truly.
Improved data and drag values of chaff and flare to be more realistic, by orsin.
Improved FlightEngine.ini values to provide better texture quality on lower settings and to reduce out of memory events.
Improved realSKY mod with modified cloud shaders, purple-ish twilight transitions and reworked lens flare textures.
Improved SoundList.ini data for better doppler effects, extended sound range for engines and explosions, guuruu.
Removed the Maverick EO aiming symbol from the A-10A's HUD, to reflect Gulf War avionics, as suggested by dtmdragon.
Removed GBU-15 from being selectable for the F-15E, as no data confirms it was used by F-15Es during ODS.
Removed double versions (EOGR and ASM) of AGM anti-ship missiles, now only ASM ones are selectable.
Removed SA-13 9S80 radar as it is historically inaccurate for Iraq in 1990-1991.
Removed anachronistic AIM-7 and AIM-9 missile variants from the Weapons folder.
Removed RWR from the F-117A since it never had one in reality, as pointed out by dtmdragon.
Removed ECM from the MiG-25PD aircraft as it did not have any in reality.
Removed R-73 missile from the mod and corrected loadout of the MiG-29UB to use R-60s instead.
Removed JATO from C-130s and from Tu-22s as they are not needed and not proper for the Gulf War scenario.
Removed tracer texture from specific guns where tracers rounds were not used operationally, as suggested by dtmdragon.
Il2 DD Update Dev Blog 355 " I.A.R.80-A"
By 76.IAP-Blackbird,
Dear Friends,
The preparation of the new update continues at full throttle. The CG-4A glider is a challenge as several new features are necessary for its towing, which have never been included in the simulation. The Western Front WWI map and the last aircraft for Flying Circus Vol. III, the R.E.8 two-seater, are almost complete and receiving final touches.
A quick heads-up: please note that due to the sheer amount of changes we're making to the Flying Circus Career mode (not only is the map much more populated but new aircraft have been added and its timeframe starts earlier) it will not be compatible with the existing careers using this map. If you currently have an ongoing WWI career, we recommend finishing it before December 19th when we will release the new update. Alternatively, you can wait for the update to start a new career.
The long-awaited I.A.R. Collector Plane is also nearing completion. In this case, however, instead of one, there will be two Collector Planes in a single purchase. The long and short variants are quite different, so they are considered distinct aircraft in the game. Each plane comes with its own modifications, paint schemes, flight characteristics, and more. The short version will be available in the December 5.201 update, with the long version following soon before the end of the Winter, likely in January.
The first Romanian fighter to be produced in large numbers was made mostly of metal, except for the stabilizer and flaps which were made of a different material. The flaps and landing gear were operated by hydraulic pressure. The I.A.R.80-A fighter series 106-150 will be the base model for the short version. This fighter was equipped with six 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns that fired German ammunition. Its flying capabilities were comparable to those of the Yak-1, but later versions of the IAR had more powerful weapons and bombs: I.A.R.80-B series 181-200 had four 7.92 mm machine guns rather than six, as well as two 13.2mm FN Browning machine guns that fired 13.2 mm Hotchkiss rounds. The I.A.R.80-M had two 20 mm MG-151/20 cannons and two 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns. The I.A.R.81 series 151-175 was equipped with six 7.92mm FN Browning machine guns and was designed to carry up to three bombs weighing up to 400 kg. The underbelly bomb rack had a distinctive parallelogram mechanism, similar to the Ju 87 dive-bomber, preventing bombs from hitting the propeller during dive bombing. The aircraft was powered by a twin-row radial 14-cylinder air-cooled engine, the I.A.R.-14K; it was licensed from the French Gnome-Rhone 14K. This engine could produce up to 1000 hp in take-off mode. A less powerful version of this type of engine was also present in the Hs-129 B-2 Collector Plane, a German ground attack aircraft.
We have a question for Romanian players or anyone knowledgeable in Romanian aviation during WWII. Do you recall the photo of Squadron Commander Collins's family in the cockpit of our Typhoon? If you have thoughts on what should be the default photos in the IAR cockpit, we'd appreciate your ideas. Maybe a famous pilot's wife or girlfriend? Two photos could be taken during the war years - one for the short IAR and one for the long one. In other news - if you're interested in Tank Crew details, Daniel 'Han' has recorded a short video describing a new feature for more precise artillery fire, bubble levels in the gunsights of the SPGs we have - SU-152, SU-122, Ferdinand and StuG III G. The video turned out to be a bit too realistic, so please make sure video subtitles are turned on since it might be hard to hear his voice over the engine noise and explosions.
The first Romanian fighter to be produced in large numbers was made mostly of metal, except for the stabilizer and flaps which were made of a different material. The flaps and landing gear were operated by hydraulic pressure. The I.A.R.80-A fighter series 106-150 will be the base model for the short version. This fighter was equipped with six 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns that fired German ammunition. Its flying capabilities were comparable to those of the Yak-1, but later versions of the IAR had more powerful weapons and bombs: I.A.R.80-B series 181-200 had four 7.92 mm machine guns rather than six, as well as two 13.2mm FN Browning machine guns that fired 13.2 mm Hotchkiss rounds. The I.A.R.80-M had two 20 mm MG-151/20 cannons and two 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns. The I.A.R.81 series 151-175 was equipped with six 7.92mm FN Browning machine guns and was designed to carry up to three bombs weighing up to 400 kg. The underbelly bomb rack had a distinctive parallelogram mechanism, similar to the Ju 87 dive-bomber, preventing bombs from hitting the propeller during dive bombing. The aircraft was powered by a twin-row radial 14-cylinder air-cooled engine, the I.A.R.-14K; it was licensed from the French Gnome-Rhone 14K. This engine could produce up to 1000 hp in take-off mode. A less powerful version of this type of engine was also present in the Hs-129 B-2 Collector Plane, a German ground attack aircraft.
We have a question for Romanian players or anyone knowledgeable in Romanian aviation during WWII. Do you recall the photo of Squadron Commander Collins's family in the cockpit of our Typhoon? If you have thoughts on what should be the default photos in the IAR cockpit, we'd appreciate your ideas. Maybe a famous pilot's wife or girlfriend? Two photos could be taken during the war years - one for the short IAR and one for the long one. In other news - if you're interested in Tank Crew details, Daniel 'Han' has recorded a short video describing a new feature for more precise artillery fire, bubble levels in the gunsights of the SPGs we have - SU-152, SU-122, Ferdinand and StuG III G. The video turned out to be a bit too realistic, so please make sure video subtitles are turned on since it might be hard to hear his voice over the engine noise and explosions.
Il2 Update 5.108 Update released
By 76.IAP-Blackbird,
Dear Friends,
Another update, 5.108, is live. It adds a new airplane to Flying Circus Vol.III Early Access - this time it is a British two-seater F.E.2b - and fixes a number of minor issues.
We have covered it in detail in our Dev Blog #352. In short, it was an unusual design compared to the rest of Great War and later aircraft - a pusher two-seater biplane with the gunner positioned in front of the pilot. Later in the war they switched to a night bomber role.
Meanwhile, the preparation of the next update has started already - we're planning to release a lot more new content, including three new aircraft! Please stay tuned, we'll tell you about it in our next Dev Blogs. 5.108 Change List F.E.2 two-seater airplane is available in Early Access for all owners of "Flying Circus Vol. III"; La-5 and La-5F oil temperature gauge corrected; Li-2: the clock shows flight time; Nieuport 17 GBR (British): superfluous parts won't appear among the debris; Normandy and Rhineland Career mode: Attack Support and Defense Support missions added; Overlord campaign updated and is now available in Spanish thanks to E69_Cananas; Achtung - Spitfire! campaign updated; La-5 and La-5F: default trimmer positions are set for horizontal flight at 3000m altitude in nominal operation mode; La-5, F, FN: the radius of the damaged propeller was changed so the nose of the aircraft won't "hang" in the air in case of a nose-down incident; Fixed issue that make it possible to keep an installed modification in multiplayer when moving from the mission where it was available to a mission where it is not allowed; Albatros D2, Halberstadt D2: fire and fuel tank leakage effects corrected; U-2VS: bomb sight added.
Meanwhile, the preparation of the next update has started already - we're planning to release a lot more new content, including three new aircraft! Please stay tuned, we'll tell you about it in our next Dev Blogs. 5.108 Change List F.E.2 two-seater airplane is available in Early Access for all owners of "Flying Circus Vol. III"; La-5 and La-5F oil temperature gauge corrected; Li-2: the clock shows flight time; Nieuport 17 GBR (British): superfluous parts won't appear among the debris; Normandy and Rhineland Career mode: Attack Support and Defense Support missions added; Overlord campaign updated and is now available in Spanish thanks to E69_Cananas; Achtung - Spitfire! campaign updated; La-5 and La-5F: default trimmer positions are set for horizontal flight at 3000m altitude in nominal operation mode; La-5, F, FN: the radius of the damaged propeller was changed so the nose of the aircraft won't "hang" in the air in case of a nose-down incident; Fixed issue that make it possible to keep an installed modification in multiplayer when moving from the mission where it was available to a mission where it is not allowed; Albatros D2, Halberstadt D2: fire and fuel tank leakage effects corrected; U-2VS: bomb sight added.
WOFF BH&H II Belgian Expansion Dev Update
By Polovski,
Hi all,
We have just added a new update on the website along with some new screenshots, from the work in progress Belgian Expansion for WOFF BH&H II. Check it out there please!
https://www.overflandersfields.com/news.html
Il2 DD Update Dev Blog 352 "F.E.2b"
By 76.IAP-Blackbird,
Dear Friends,
The next update, 5.108, is in the works and today we are starting its beta testing. The next version will include further improvements to the career mode - for example, ground support will be added to the Normandy theater for both offensive and defensive missions. There will be other additions if they are ready in time, but one of the highlights of the next version will be the next Flying Circus Vol.III aircraft - the F.E.2b two-seater.
The F.E.2 was a biplane with a pusher propeller and a sprung landing gear with a front support wheel to minimize the risk of overturning during a bad landing. The entire trailing edge of the upper center section was hinged along the rear spar and could be lowered to act as a flap-type air brake. The forward cockpit was occupied by the observer gunner, with the pilot sitting behind him at a higher level. The engine was almost completely cowled and drove a two-blade pusher propeller.
Interestingly, in February 1915, this type of plane was tested with a brake parachute. This was probably the first time in history that a braking parachute was used on an airplane. A newly designed air brake that had been used on the first F.E.2a was also tested, but the air brake was eventually abandoned.
During testing, the performance of the 100 hp Green engine was found to be unsatisfactory, mainly due to its poor power-to-weight ratio, and the machine was modified to be fitted with a new in-line six-cylinder water-cooled Beardmore engine rated at 120 hp. The center section of the upper wing was made in one piece and the air brake was removed. The aircraft with the new engine made its first flight in March 1915, but the first deliveries to the Royal Flying Corps did not begin until May. The first F.E.2b to go to France was flown to the No. 6 Squadron airfield at Abeele by Captain L.A. Strange on May 20, 1915. By September 25th the squadron had four F.E.2b's in its strength.
Production of the F.E.2b was undertaken by a number of contractors, but it took some time before the machines were available in sufficient numbers; by the end of 1915, a total of thirty-two had been delivered. The first R.F.C. unit to go to France fully equipped with F.Es was No. 20, which arrived on January 23, 1916. No. 25 Squadron followed on 20 February, No. 23 on 16 March, and No. 22 on April 1st. The F.E.2b was mainly used for the needs of the army: for reconnaissance and for the escort of other aircraft, and it proved to be very worthy in the battles against enemy aircraft. Often grouped with D.H.2 fighters, the F.E.2b fought back against the Fokker monoplanes that dominated the skies at the time. The success of its use in combat was due to the wide sector of fire of the machine guns in the nose of the plane. The plane was also occasionally used to attack ground targets on the front line and in actions on the enemy's rear communications. In the second half of the war, the F.E.2b was widely used as a night bomber; for this purpose, the aircraft were painted black and equipped with night take-off and landing equipment. The performance of the F.E.2b with the 120 hp Beardmore engine was not outstanding and from time to time attempts were made to improve its flight characteristics. At the end of March 1916, a new version of the Beardmore engine with an increased power of 160 hp appeared, and as it was essentially an improved version of the previous model, it could be fitted without the need for major design changes. Between 1915 and 1918, 1,939 F.E.2b aircraft were produced. After the release of the previous update and the new La-5F Collector Plane, some players asked us to provide more details about the changes made to the existing Lavochkin family aircraft. Our Lead Engineer "Gavrick" has personally explained the changes. The La-5 is one of the oldest aircraft in the IL-2 project, it was created during the development of the Battle of Stalingrad 10 years ago and many of the modern approaches and techniques we're using now were just being introduced. The La-5FN was modeled several years later, and while it was built on the basis of the La-5s, certain things were reworked: for example, the effect of engine cowl flaps on aerodynamics was modeled in a different way (but the resulting aerodynamic coefficients remained almost the same). It became obvious that the older La-5 should be reworked to the new technology standards, but we didn't have the time to do it at that time - however, some improvements made to it (the physical models of the constant pressure regulator of the boost manifold and the propeller were made more precise). And finally, recently the new La-5F was created on the basis of the FN. We finally had time to update everything - the airframe aerodynamics modeling of the old La-5 and the La-5 engine modeling with the modern technique used in the La-5F. So what actually changed for the old La-5 characteristics? The lift-drag polar diagram remained mostly the same. Engine power and propeller thrust were corrected - but the resulting speed change remained less than 10 km/h. The aircraft became slightly faster at low altitudes and slightly slower at high altitudes, which is historically more correct than the unmodified model. The effectiveness of the stabilizers and controls also changed slightly, so the handling of the aircraft became "sharper", more like the La-5FN. Therefore, these changes weren't an FM overhaul per se, but rather a list of small corrections and improvements that were necessary to give all three Lavochkin aircraft a common technological base, so that all their differences are caused by design features and not different modeling methods. That's it for today. Please stay tuned for the 5.108 update - it is planned to be released this month!
Production of the F.E.2b was undertaken by a number of contractors, but it took some time before the machines were available in sufficient numbers; by the end of 1915, a total of thirty-two had been delivered. The first R.F.C. unit to go to France fully equipped with F.Es was No. 20, which arrived on January 23, 1916. No. 25 Squadron followed on 20 February, No. 23 on 16 March, and No. 22 on April 1st. The F.E.2b was mainly used for the needs of the army: for reconnaissance and for the escort of other aircraft, and it proved to be very worthy in the battles against enemy aircraft. Often grouped with D.H.2 fighters, the F.E.2b fought back against the Fokker monoplanes that dominated the skies at the time. The success of its use in combat was due to the wide sector of fire of the machine guns in the nose of the plane. The plane was also occasionally used to attack ground targets on the front line and in actions on the enemy's rear communications. In the second half of the war, the F.E.2b was widely used as a night bomber; for this purpose, the aircraft were painted black and equipped with night take-off and landing equipment. The performance of the F.E.2b with the 120 hp Beardmore engine was not outstanding and from time to time attempts were made to improve its flight characteristics. At the end of March 1916, a new version of the Beardmore engine with an increased power of 160 hp appeared, and as it was essentially an improved version of the previous model, it could be fitted without the need for major design changes. Between 1915 and 1918, 1,939 F.E.2b aircraft were produced. After the release of the previous update and the new La-5F Collector Plane, some players asked us to provide more details about the changes made to the existing Lavochkin family aircraft. Our Lead Engineer "Gavrick" has personally explained the changes. The La-5 is one of the oldest aircraft in the IL-2 project, it was created during the development of the Battle of Stalingrad 10 years ago and many of the modern approaches and techniques we're using now were just being introduced. The La-5FN was modeled several years later, and while it was built on the basis of the La-5s, certain things were reworked: for example, the effect of engine cowl flaps on aerodynamics was modeled in a different way (but the resulting aerodynamic coefficients remained almost the same). It became obvious that the older La-5 should be reworked to the new technology standards, but we didn't have the time to do it at that time - however, some improvements made to it (the physical models of the constant pressure regulator of the boost manifold and the propeller were made more precise). And finally, recently the new La-5F was created on the basis of the FN. We finally had time to update everything - the airframe aerodynamics modeling of the old La-5 and the La-5 engine modeling with the modern technique used in the La-5F. So what actually changed for the old La-5 characteristics? The lift-drag polar diagram remained mostly the same. Engine power and propeller thrust were corrected - but the resulting speed change remained less than 10 km/h. The aircraft became slightly faster at low altitudes and slightly slower at high altitudes, which is historically more correct than the unmodified model. The effectiveness of the stabilizers and controls also changed slightly, so the handling of the aircraft became "sharper", more like the La-5FN. Therefore, these changes weren't an FM overhaul per se, but rather a list of small corrections and improvements that were necessary to give all three Lavochkin aircraft a common technological base, so that all their differences are caused by design features and not different modeling methods. That's it for today. Please stay tuned for the 5.108 update - it is planned to be released this month!
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