76.IAP-Blackbird

Dear Friends, Today we'll tell you about one of the Collector Planes in development - IAR-80/81. Both kinds of this Romanian aircraft will be available in our sim: the 'short' model with short fuselage and wings and the 'long' one (that's right - with long fuselage and wings). At the moment, the work on the first model has progressed well and the second one will be developed relatively fast after finishing the first. This fighter/bomber was designed under the lead of Ion Grosu and took off for the first time in 1939. In 1940 the aircraft went into mass production and later was updated many times, resulting in many modifications. Most of them will be available in Great Battles: "Short version" I.A.R.80-A serie 106-150 : fighter armed with six 7.92mm FN Browning MGs firing German rounds (base model). I.A.R.80-B series 181-200 : fighter armed with four 7.92mm and two 13.2mm FN Browning MGs firing 13.2mm Hotchkiss rounds. I.A.R.80-M : fighter armed with two 7.92mm FN Browning MGs and two 20mm MG-151/20 German guns. I.A.R.81 series 151-175 : fighter/bomber armed with six 7.92mm FN Browning MGs and capable to deliver up to three bombs with up to 400 kg total weight. The underbelly bomb mount had a special parallelogram mechanism for dive bombing that prevented a released bomb from hitting the propeller. In addition, the flaps on this dive bomber modification had larger angle range, serving as ad-hoc air brakes. "Long version" I.A.R.80-B series 212-230 : fighter armed with four 7.92mm and two 13.2mm FN Browning MGs firing 13.2mm Hotchkiss rounds (base model). I.A.R.80-C series 251-290 : fighter armed with four 7.92mm FN Browning MGs and two 20mm MG-FF Ikaria guns. I.A.R.81-C series 301-450 : fighter/bomber armed two 7.92mm FN Browning MGs and two 20mm MG-151/20 German guns and capable to deliver up to three bombs. All the IAR-80 modifications that will be modeled in our sim were powered by twin-row radial 14-cylinder air cooled engine I.A.R.-14K, which was the licensed version of the French Gnome-Rhone 14K. In takeoff mode it could reach 1000 HP. The similar, albeit less uprated engines were installed on the German ground attack aircraft Hs-129B-2 most Great Battles players are familar with already. This first Romanian mass-produced fighter was all metal except the stabilizer and flaps skin. The flaps and landing gear had hydraulic actuators. All in all, it possessed flight characteristics similar to Soviet Yak-1, but late IAR modifications had much more powerful weapons and bombs. The visual 3D model of IAR-80/81 is being developed by two famous enthusiasts - Ivan Shirshov (3D model) and Martin =ICDP= Catney (exterior textures). We hope they'll finish their part of the work in the coming months and we'll be able to start the work on its FM and systems. We'd like to repeat once again - if you're interested in creating new content for our series, we're always open for collaboration. Just contact us.

The question that remains is, will there be a new module for the BOX series or will they turn to a new title with a new engine and code. The old il2 1946 was developed quiet well at the end and recieved more advanced codeing to improve it as much as possible.

Dear Friends, This year we have already released two previously announced Collector Planes. Today we would like to share plans for the future aircraft. In addition to the already released Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIVe Bubbletop and Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 A/S, the plan for this year includes: 1. Li-2 - Soviet military transport aircraft. Unlike the original C-47 (Li-2 was based on it under license), it was also used as a bomber and had an optional turret and even forward firing weaponry. The planned release date is Summer 2023. 2. American towable glider (!) WACO CG-4A, which has been widely used during the Normandy landings. The planned release date is Fall 2023. 3. Soviet fighter La-5 series 38 with a teardrop-shaped canopy. Its lighter design had a positive effect on the characteristics of the aircraft compared to earlier models. The planned release date is Fall 2023. 4. Romanian fighter IAR-80/81 in two basic variants («long» and «short»). Both variants and 7 modifications of the aircraft are described in detail in DD #334. The planned release date is the end of 2023. Please note: since this Collector Plane will be effectively two significantly different aircraft (different fuselages, different flight characteristics, different paint scheme kits, there are differences in their cockpits as well) in one package, its pre-order price will increase on May 17th to the level of larger Collector Planes like C-47. Of course, the pre-orders placed before this date won’t be affected by this change, so if you’re interested in getting these aircraft eventually, please consider doing so before May 17th. 5. The development of three new fighters scheduled for 2024 has begun: German interceptor Focke-Wulf Ta 152 Soviet legendary biplane Polikarpov I-153 «Chaika» British fighter Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc armed with 7.69 mm machine guns and a different tail. 6. By the end of 2023, it is planned to complete the development of the Flying Circus Vol.III which will include eight aircraft: F.E.2b R.E.8 Hanriot HD.1 Nieuport 11.C1 Nieuport 17.C1 Nieuport 17.C1 GBR Albatros D.II Halberstadt D.II It is also planned to complete the Western Front 1918 map and populate the entire front line with objects. This updated version of the map will be available in different seasons. 7. The story of Flying Circus continues: plans for 2024 include additional improvements to the map and the development of seven new collectible aircraft: Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter B Sopwith Pup Airco DH.2 Albatros D.III Roland C.IIa Fokker E.III 8. We’re also helping a team of enthusiasts who are working on a new map of one of the theaters of operations on the Eastern Front. A significant progress has been made - we hope that the map will become part of the Great Battles game world soon. The details about the map and the development team will be revealed later. Since the Battle of Normandy release, 9 World War II aircraft, 15 World War I aircraft and two maps have already been produced or are in development. And that's not all! Your support motivates us to improve and extend the Great Battles series. A new historical campaign is in the final stage of development - it is dedicated to the operation of Yak-7 fighter armed units. This year we plan to release another campaign and there are ideas for creating three new campaigns already. In addition, this year we’re updating a number of previously created campaigns to integrate new technologies and content developed recently (you can see the Tank Crew campaigns being updated in the screenshots below). The 1C Game Studios team wishes you good luck and aerial victories in the virtual sky! Congratulations on the upcoming Victory Day!

Dear Friends, Today we'd like to present you the final part of the Stalingrad trilogy, the ending of the story that started in "Blazing Steppe" and continued in "Fortress on the Volga" campaigns. The new campaign will tell you about the combat operations of the Soviet IL-2 attack planes in December 1942. The development of the third part took much longer than we initially expected, partly because of the need to research a huge amount of data from the archives telling about the actions of the three Soviet Fronts and Air Armies, but the result will prove itself worthy of the effort spent. We are proud to announce the Pre-Order of the new historical Campaign "Ice Ring" for IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad. Basing on the combat order records and operational reports of the Soviet 8th Air Army, we have managed to recreate an absolutely unique history of combat operations of the 226th Ground-Attack Air Division regiments. The campaign consists of three large stages, during which you'll operate from 4 different airfields and take part in the most dramatic events of the final part of the Battle of Stalingrad. The successful counter-offensive of the Red Army in November 1942 led to the encirclement of the 284 thousands troops including the German 6th Army and 4th Tank Army, as well as Romanian divisions. Then the task of supplying the troops was assigned to the transport and bomber units of the Luftwaffe, so the first part of the new campaign is dedicated to the very beginning of the Soviet air blockade formation. At the end of November, the command of the Soviet 8th Air Army issued an order to relocate the 235th Fighter Air Division to the south of the city. It was also decided to form a special air group of IL-2's pilots from the 226th ShAD who were experienced in dogfights and flying in difficult weather conditions and place it under the 235th IAD headquarters command. During this period, you'll fly reconnaissance flights, search and destroy German transport aircraft in the air and strike at their take-off and landing airfields inside the cauldron. The situation of the encircled enemy group on December 2-6, 1942 from the reporting map of the Don Front and the situation at the morning of December 2nd from the campaign map. In mid-December, when the special air group was disbanded, you'll return back to your regiment. Against the background of the ongoing reorganization in the division and the beginning of the enemy offensive from the direction of Kotelnikovo (Operation "Winter Storm"), you'll have to fly several combat missions directly against the surrounded German troops. At the end of the campaign, when the situation on the southern flank of the Stalingrad Front becomes critical, you'll be sent to the most threatened sector. As part of a hurriedly formed ground attack air group, you'll take part in the heaviest battles on the Myshkova River, which determined the outcome of the entire German counter-offensive and sealed the fate of the troops surrounded in and near the devastated city. Events on the Myshkova River from December 22 to 26, 1942 from the reporting map of the Stalingrad Front and the situation in the middle of December 22nd from the campaign map. You'll fly 15 combat missions on the IL-2 AM-38 (model 1942), about 7 hours of gameplay in total. The new campaign is scheduled to be released in Summer 2020. The IL-2 Sturmovik Team

Dear Friends, Today is an important day for the project. We are proud to present the results of joint work with our partner "Ugra Media" - the Flying Circus Vol. II release. We have completed the Western Front 1918 map to the planned degree, as well as the development of the Career game mode (the full list of changes is available at the end of the news). During the work on the Career, we created new types of missions and adapted a significant number of existing ones to match the realities of the war in the skies of 1917-1918. FLYING CIRCUS VOL. II Flying Circus Vol. II includes: The map "Western Front 1918" containing northwestern and southeastern parts of the front line and Quick Mission Builder mode for it. Pilot’s Career mode for WWI. French fighter Spad VII.C1 in two variations. British Sopwith Triplane rotary engine fighter. French rotary engine fighter Nieuport 28.C1. French medium two-seat bomber Breguet 14.B2. British medium two-seat bomber Airco DH.IV. British heavy twin-engine bomber Handley Page 0-400. German Fokker D.VIII monoplane fighter. German fighter Pfalz D.XII. German heavy twin-engine bomber Gotha G.V. German two-seat recon/bomber DFW C.V. FLYING CIRCUS VOL. III Also, 1C Games Studios and Ugra Media have entered into an agreement to develop the third part of the project - Flying Circus Vol. III. It will include 8 aircraft: German Albatros D.II fighter German fighter Halberstadt D.II French Nieuport 17.C1 fighter French Nieuport 11.C1 fighter French fighter Nieuport 17.C1 GBR adapted for British service French Hanriot HD.1 fighter. British two-seat reconnaissance aircraft R.E.8. British two-seat medium bomber F.E.2b. In the 3rd part of the project, it is planned to make the Western Front map and the Pilot Career mode final. Map objects and Career mode will cover the entire length of the front lines on the map, complementing and improving the content of Rise of Flight. There will be new industrial plants, farms, front line objects and other details. The map will have five seasons: Summer, early Autumn, late Autumn / early Spring, Winter and Spring. Release of the Flying Circus Vol. III is scheduled for the end of 2023. The first airplanes of the set will be available this summer via the early access program our players are familiar with. FUTURE PLANS After the completion of FC-III, there are plans for 2024 to develop an additional set together with Yugra Media that will reproduce the remaining land-based aircraft in Rise of Flight. It is currently planned to include: British Sopwith Pup fighter. British rear-engine fighter Airco DH.2. British two-seat reconnaissance Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter. German fighter Albatros D.III. German Fokker E.III monoplane fighter. German two-seat reconnaissance Roland C.IIa. We plan to further improve the maps of Flying Circus projects, supplement their development and add the airfields that are located further from the front line. Please note that the Western Front map is available to all players who have purchased at least one of the Flying Circus projects. This map will be further improved and supplemented. SPITFIRE MK.XIVE RELEASED In addition to the Great War news, we would like to present a new British collectible aircraft from the final period of the WWII - the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIVe. The main difference between this aircraft and the previous Mk.XIV is the teardrop-shaped canopy, which provides a better view. The aircraft has several modifications available: 150 grade fuel allowing +21 lb boost. Automatic supercharger gear shifting is disabled, stages should be manually switched at 11000 ft altitude (20 km/h estimated speed increase at sea level). Two 250 lb G.P. bombs with racks (250 kg weight increase, 22 km/h speed loss, 11 km/h speed loss after drop). 500 lb G.P. bomb with rack (237 kg weight increase, 12 km/h speed loss, 6 km/h speed loss after drop). Replacement of MkII Gyro Gunsight with MkII* Reflector Gunsight. Clipped Wing. Rear view mirror (1 kg weight increase, 1 km/h speed loss). F.24 photo camera installation behind the cockpit (28 kg weight increase). Clipped wing only. Rounded exhaust pipes. It is already in the sim and available on our website and on Steam. WINGS OVER CAEN FREE CAMPAIGN RELEASED As we have announced in Dev Blog 338, this update contains a gift for all owners of Battle of Normandy. Wings over Caen tells about the tour of duty of No. 245 Squadron RAF«Northern Rhodesia» in the summer of 1944. Over the course of 10 hectic missions, you will be able to feel the difficulties its Typhoon pilots experienced after their rebase to Normandy. We have also added the single missions for all Normandy aircraft plus C-47 (make sure to check them out!) and the last of the ships planned for this theater - Fighter Direction Tender. You can find the full list of changes in this update below. 5.101 Major Features The WWI Western Front map improved, Flying Circus Career mode added, Flying Circus Vol.II released; The Spitfire Mk.XIVe with Teardrop Canopy Collector Plane released; New action-rich historical campaign Wings over Caen added (it's free for Battle of Normandy owners); 11 interesting single missions added for all aircraft of the Battle of Normandy, including Arado and Spitfire XIV, and C-47; FDT (Flight Direction Tender) ship added, it was created as part of the Battle for Normandy; Blazing Steppe, Fortress on the Volga and Ice Ring campaigns updated (tactical numbers and correct paint schemes added for each aircraft, the number of aircraft increased by 15-20% in most missions, missions updated for the new sim version and re-tested); His Majesty Griffons campaign updated (tactical numbers and correct paint schemes added for each aircraft, Ar 234 flight added to mission 9, American vehicles replaced by British in UK held territory, missions updated for the new sim version and re-tested); Hawks Over the Bulge campaign updated (fixed waypoints); Added 9 single missions for Flying Circus Vol.II airplanes; AI Changes Fixed bugs when AI pilots drop paratroopers and cargo containers (difficulty calculating an approach, wingmen not dropping cargo after the leader); Corrected evasive maneuvers for World War I aircraft AI pilots, which previously sometimes led to a spin and collision with the ground; Fixed an issue with AI pilots climbing in formation, which, in particular, could cause the wingmen to fly with their flaps extended and therefore lag behind the rest of the flight; Improved formation keeping by AI pilots during climb and descent; AA searchlights on a truck chassis function correctly; Aircraft Changes Pe-2 Ser. 35 and Pe-2 ser. 87 - crew models updated; Pe-2 Ser. 35 and Pe-2 ser. 87 - Female Crew modification added; Pe-2 Ser. 87: fixed the texture of the machine gun trigger guard in the upper turret (regular and closed); The location of tactical number symbols has been corrected on the “Two-color” and “White” skins for IL-2 mod. 1943 and the "White" skin for the Yak-1 ser. 69; Airco D.H.4, Handley-Page O/400 and Breguet 14: flight commander flares fired when giving orders won’t damage the aircraft wing; A-20B: fixed a problem with the display of the tail signal lights at a distance; The size of off-road bumpy terrain features on the Normandy map now corresponds the other maps (Kuban, Rhineland, etc.); Balloon operators launch flares when given a mission command MCU Command: Flare; Detailed tanks launch flares when given a mission command MCU Command: Flare; Fw 190 A5/A6/A8: fixed a number of minor typos in the cockpit; Hs.129: SC50 bomb racks are linked to the middle part of the wing (was to the outer one); Spitfire Mk.XIV critical engine operating modes have been adjusted similar to Mk.XIVe. Spitfire Mk.XIV aircraft behavior when extending and retracting flaps has been corrected. Spitfire Mk. XIV formation lights look correct from a distance when clipped wings are selected; Spitfire Mk. XIV: fixed a bug due to which the fuel tank damage could be calculated wrong when hitting wing tanks; Bf 109 G-4: aerodynamic drag and weight of bombs and bomb holders is calculated correctly; Me 410 A-1: Stuvi scope wind speed readings have been adjusted to match the values in the technochat; All Bf 109, all Fw 190, IL-2, MiG-3, LaGG-3, MC-202: the point of application of the air drag of the underbelly and underwing cannons has been fixed (it was applied incorrectly, in the center of the aircraft); All Bf 109: fixed a bug due to which gunpods were linked to the wingtip instead of the middle part of the wing; Bf 110 G-2: fixed propeller blur at low rpm; Ar 234 B-2: increased drop in aerodynamic quality of the wing when its part is shot off; Fixed a random crash bug when setting C-47A engine cowl flaps streamwise; C-47A engine cowl flap control valves are named correctly in the cockpit; Fixed display of the Ju 87D-3 gunner's cockpit in multiplayer when a guest gunner is connected; Recovery time of time limited engine modes have been adjusted (now the required recovery time is proportional to the time limit itself); Tank Crew Changes Fixed excessive damage to gun barrels by shell fragments when hitting the rear of the turret; It is again possible to damage the player controllable tank Pz.Kpfw. V Ausf.G “Panther” undercarriage; The GUI display of the number of rounds left in a player controllable tank has been fixed; Churchill tracks are visible in the first person view; The hull armor is correctly taken into account when calculating an APHE hit at the front part of the Churchill gear box; Western Front 1918 Map Changes General fixes for the Western Front map, Spring 1918: Leveled terrain under the Ochey airfield (2630-1); Leveled terrain under the Pronville airfield (0908-5); Restored objects on the airfield La Bellevue (0905-7); Added airfield Marville (1726-5); Changed the name of the airfield to Avesnes-le-Sec West (0811-1); Removed a flooding from the Etain airfield (1927-2); Fixed forest clearings (1327-4, 1427-8, 1328-2, 1325-3); Removed the overlapping of buildings in the villages on the front line and trenches (1306-7, 1206-5, 0807-4, 0506-6, 0307-6, 0207-3, 2432-1, 2532-8); Airfield Bernes (1209-4) - the sign has been removed from the hangar; Train station Lille (0409-7) - removed the extra model of the station, mistakenly added to the map; Airfields Stenay and Stenay South (1724-8) and Belrain (2425-7) have leveled terrain; Added the city of Luxembourg (1531); Added Fort Verdun (2025-6); Many farms have been added to the countryside; Ypres (0107-3) - added a canal near the city; Bridge markings added (1421-3, 1425-4, 1425-3, 1426-2, 1426-3, 1427-1, 1427-8, 1428, 2831-6, 2831-9, 2832-8, 2832 -9, 2520-4, 2520-7, 2519-6, 2625, 0815-4, 0715-7, 0815-8, 0314-5, 0214-3, 0507-4, 0611-5); Added missing ground textures near buildings (1203-5, 1203-6, 1203-8, 1406-1, 1306-4, 1310-9, 1103-5, 1105-9, 0910-4, 0911-1, 1523-5 , 1425-1, 0806-9, 1621-1, 1721-9, 1624-4, 1624-1, 1627-2, 1820-9, 1820-2, 1921-9, 2027-8, 2028-4, 2029 -5, 2029-3, 0607-5, 0505-2, 2128-5, 0402-3, 2229-8, 2229-1, 2230-5, 2231-9, 2230-5, 2431-2); Corrected forest clearings (1327-4, 1427-8, 1328-2, 1328-5, 1325-3); Removed trees from houses 0506-4, 0508-7, 0508-3, 0510-7, 0610-2, 0610-8, 0608-7, 0608-7, 0606-5, 0605-8, 0605-9, 0606-7, 0608- 3, 0609-1, 0508-7, 1207-1); Added missing textures for railways (1307-3, 0203-3, 0605-9, 0605-8); Toul airfield (2629-8) - the terrain at the end of the runway has been leveled. Other Сhanges An excessive shine of camouflage nets fixed; Fixed a bug in the operation of the air reconnaissance, artillery correction and photo reconnaissance GUI, which led to inability to use it if there were ground vehicles in the mission; Fixed a bug in the work of MCU: ComplexTrigger, due to which the event of dropping paratroopers worked regardless of the specified country; Updated the sounds of air explosions of medium and large caliber AA rounds; Added separate sounds of air explosions for the British QF13-pounder 6 cwt (76.2 mm) and the German Flak 77 L/27 AA guns; Updated external and internal (heard from cockpit) sounds of the ShVAK autocannon; Fixed assignment of tactical codes to the aircraft of the player's cover flight in the Career mode; Tactical codes generated for a mission shouldn’t be applied to the unique skins in the hangar; Mission Editor: Fixed the drop-down list of countries in the Properties section for airfields.

The DD's give the game a more "alive" feeling. AI could be better, if you compare the old 1946, that was a very good sim at the end, with plausible AI, good radio chat and your wingman was doing what you told him. What never catched me was the WOFF WW1 and WW2 series ... never saw it somewhere else than here on CA or read any review about it.

I had a lot of fun flying it, enjoying it and testing the new stuff. For now we are testing the G6AS and that's it for now. Silence since the last year about the new development or projects, ideas etc

The Developers have reduced the amount of Developer Diaries per month. The Info that goes out is also limited now and we and the community have no idea what will be the next title or step. They have announced a new "Game", more staff and more investments into their work, engine and content. But we have to wait until they wake up from the last winter, and we have no idea how the current war affect their work Best regards Martin

Dear Friends! Work on our next update, which is version 4.6 continues as planned and should be released before the end of this month. This update will be a pretty big one with new content, some new features and lots of small tweaks as usual. We also continue to make new airplanes and other models that will be incorporated into the sim this year and beyond. Work never slows down for us as you know. Today I’d like to share some screens of ongoing work that you’ll enjoy as we finalize the next update. Here are some images that help demonstrate our DVD system for our tanks and AAA vehicles along with our Tactical Codes technology. DVD definitely adds another interesting layer to our damage modeling. Work on the Normandy map is going strong and here you can see some towns that are taking shape. The terrain textures are not final and borrowed from the Rhineland map at the moment. And here’s the terrible vengeance weapon that terrorized Great Britain for many months during the war - the Fieseler Fi 103 or simply the V-1 “Buzz Bomb”. The British sarcastically nicknamed it the “Doodlebug”, but there was nothing cute about them in reality. It was the world’s first jet powered cruise missile, and it was a deadly, dangerous weapon that fell from the sky at seemingly random locations with little or no warning. About 8,000 V-1s were launched against Britain with about 2,400 of them getting through the defenses. Over 6,000 people were killed and many thousands more wounded by them. Over 44,000 Allied sorties were flown to try and intercept them along with the flak batteries that tried desperately to knock them down. Truly a flying terror. You’ll be able to simulate intercepting them before they are able to strike their targets along the southern coast of England when the BON map is ready. They were also used against targets in France and Belgium in smaller numbers as the Allies advanced. We also have added more railyards to BOBP cities and here is the current list that has increased to a total of 19. We apologize for not having pictures of them, but COVID has decided to interfere with this operation. Just a reminder that we are not totally out of the woods yet with the pandemic. Antwerp Liege Mainz Frankfurt Bonn Cologne Disburg Brussels Charleroi Dusseldorf Munster Koblenz Eindhoven Tillburg Nijmegen Essen Enschede Hengelo Osnabruck And before we end this DD, here are three new posters Jason has created featuring all three Spitfire variants found in Great Battles including the new Spitfire Mk. XIV. We hope you enjoy this artwork. Spitfire Mk.VB Poster Spitfire Mk. IXe Poster Spitfire Mk.XIV Poster And of course, here are a few pics of the upcoming Spitfire Mk.XIV and Nieuport 28. Enjoy your weekend everyone and stay safe! The Sturmovik Team

Update 4.601 Dear Friends, Our team is proud to tell you that the work on update 4.601 is finished and it is up already. This update brings you three new toys at once. The first one of them is Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIV Collectors Plane (included in Battle of Normandy Early Access). This late model of the legendary fighter has great fighting capabilities while retaining its captivating charisma. It has several historical modifications that make the Spitfire family in our project even more variable. The second one is a new Collector Vehicle - Soviet self-propelled AAA - 25-mm 72-K gun installed on GAZ-MM chassis. Recreated with attention to detail, this vehicle is a new object class in our project. The experience you'll get operating it is unique - the life of the low-caliber AAA crews in World War II wasn't an easy one. It comes with a special mission type in QMB mode and new single missions. The third one is the first airplane of the Flying Circus Vol. 2 - French-made single-seat fighter Nieuport 28.C1 that was exclusively used in US squadrons. This speedy plane with good weaponry for its time was used by the most famous US fighter ace of the Great War - Eddie Rickenbacker. This aircraft had a unique way of regulating the rotative engine power by ignition breaker. All in all, an interesting machine - and it officially starts Flying Circus Vol. 2 Early Access program. Also in this update are two very important new technologies, one of which is tactical numbers that can be customized before the mission. At the moment, it fully works on all Tank Crew tanks thanks to our partners at Digital Forms. P-51D-15 also got this capability for USAAF and RAF (it depends on the aircraft country specified in a mission) and it works on Nieuport 28.C1 too. Later this year we plan to enable it for all other aircraft (it takes a lot of work). The second new technology is Dynamic Visual Damage (DVD) that visualizes the hit marks from various projectiles on aircraft and tanks. Please note that is a visual tech that is intended to make the battle damage more vivid. In the absolute majority of cases, the DVD hit marks will properly show the impacts, but there are limitations caused by multiplayer and performance that in some cases can make them inaccurate - the good level of performance is always our priority. Nevertheless, this new feature should greatly increase the damage diversity. Just like tactical numbers, this new tech already works on all Tank Crew tanks and P-51D-15 and Nieuport 28.C1 planes. Again, we plan to enable it for all other 60+ aircraft this year. Also in this version is a huge update of the graphical effects. This isn't an easy task to do since we not only have to make them look awesome but retain the level of performance. This time we have all-new explosion effects for all HE munitions in the sim with increased variety - now there are clearly visible differences between, say, 50 and 100, 250 and 500, 1000 and 2500 kg bombs. The water explosions became much better and the explosions better light the surroundings. Martin =ICDP= Catney updated a lot of the external textures he made for us and this time two of the previously released aircraft were updated to 4K - Macchi MC 202 Folgore Collector Plane and Ju 88 A-4 bomber (Battle of Moscow). Please note that soon all the aircraft in our project will have 4K quality external textures. Oyster_KAI continued his work on improving the tremendous amount of aircraft cockpits, namely all Spitfires, Bf 109s, Bf 110s, Ju 87, Ju 88 and U-2VS. All the text above is just the highlights of the new update, you can read the changelist below: Main features 1. Spitfire Mk.XIV Collector Plane is available to all owners of Battle of Normandy Premium Edition; 2. Nieuport 28.C1 is available to all owners of Flying Circus Vol. 2 and the Early Access program for Vol. 2 officially starts; 3. 25 mm 72-К AA gun on GAZ-MM truck is available to customers who prepurchased it; 4. New special mission type for QMB mode and 5 single missions added for AAA guns; 5. Dynamic Visual Damage (DVD) technology is added to the sim, that shows (with some limitations) the hit marks of projectiles on various objects. At the moment it works for all detailed tanks of Tank Crew - Clash at Prokhorovka, 72-K GAZ-MM AAA, P-51D-15 fighter, and Nieuport 28.C1 airplane; 6. Dynamic tactical markings technology is added to the sim, allowing to customize the tactical numbers on aircraft and vehicles. At the moment it works for all detailed tanks of Tank Crew - Clash at Prokhorovka, 72-K GAZ-MM AAA, P-51D-15 fighter, and Nieuport 28.C1 airplane; 7. More detailed railyards added to 19 cities on the Rhineland map (Bodenplatte): Antwerp, Liege, Mainz, Frankfurt, Bonn, Cologne, Duisburg, Brussels, Charleroi, Düsseldorf, Munster, Koblenz, Eindhoven, Tilburg, Nijmegen, Essen, Enschede, Hengelo, Osnabrück; 8. Completely new graphical effects are added for all munitions in the game for ground, water and object impacts and for midair explosions; 9. All F, G and K series Bf 109 fighters got the corrected tail models. Now the sturdiness of their elements are on par with the rest of the fighters and these elements can be shot off individually; 10. 4K quality external texturing added for MC.202 fighter and Ju 88 bomber while all Spitfires, Bf 109s, Bf 110s, Ju 87, Ju 88 and U-2VS cockpits were updated; Aircraft improvements 11. Spitfire Mk.XIV added to Rhineland Career mode (Bodenplatte) to the following squadrons the player can join: No. 41 Squadron RAF, No. 130 Squadron RAF, No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron RAF, No. 402 Squadron RCAF and No. 610 Squadron RAF. 12. The player flight takes off correctly in the 15th mission of the “Achtung Spitfire!” campaign; 13. An issue that could cause a AI fighter to approach to an air target too close and potentially to collide with it has been corrected; 14. AI fighter correctly attack balloons; 15. AI pilots aiming the MGs and guns at ground targets has been corrected; 16. Less experienced AI pilots engage the ground targets at closer distances; 17. Flying Circus aircraft visibility at large distances has been corrected to correspond to other aircraft in the game (it was 3 times lower); 18. Fuel tank and ammo explosion effects can be observed on other players in multiplayer; 19. An issue with potential fuel tank catastrophic detonation in case of engine(s) fire has been corrected; 20. The power of a fuel tank explosion now depends on the actual amount of ignited fuel or fuel vapors in a partially spent fuel tank; 21. Modeling of the putting out the fuel tank fire by sideslipping the aircraft at high speed has been improved; 22. Multiple ammo storage explosions are now possible (previously it could happen only once); 23. Maximum ATA near the ground level with C3 injection system on Fw-190 A5/A6 has been corrected (increased); 24. Roll shaking at high speed corrected for AI or mouse controlled Sopwith Dolphin; 25. A visual bar on the rotating Fw 190 A-6 spinner removed; 26. Rear formation light corrected on Fw 190 A-6; 27. Fw 190 A-8 small clock hand restored; 28. Added missing luminous paint on some Tempest, Spitfire Mk.IX, Bf 110 G-2 and Ju 52 instruments; 29. P-38 formation lights corrected; 30. Spitfire IX mirror position corrected; 31. Oil from the damaged engine on canopy effect corrected on P-51D-15; 32. A small visual issue corrected on MC.202 (attitude indicator tube); Player controlled tanks improvements 33. All detailed tanks now have tactical numbers in Last Chance and Breaking Point tank campaigns; 34. Radio antennas on all Tank Crew detailed tanks can be damaged by enemy fire (in addition to damageable radio equipment that was modeled before); 35. Detailed tanks won't 'freeze in the air' after colliding with another object that was later moved; 36. AI gunners will properly burst fire the coaxial MGs of the detailed tanks; 37. An issue with the inability to hit the gun barrel on some tanks has been fixed; 38. Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M lower turret armor has been corrected; 39. The missing part of the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M ammo reserve can be damaged by enemy fire; 40. T-34-76 UTZ (1943) coaxial MG can be damaged by enemy fire; 41. Additional external parts of Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.H1 like various covers and splashers can be shot off; 42. KV-1 and SU-152 splashers and rear deflector can be shot off; Additional improvements 43. A graphics issue that caused z-fighting of the shadows on certain buildings in MSAA x4 mode has been corrected; 44. External objects like trees, buildings and aircraft drop visible shadows on the player aircraft or vehicle and its cockpit in non-VR mode; 45. Gamma can be lowered down to 0.5 for more comfort in VR mode; 46. A visible city blocks shadow 'border' at large distances has been minimized; 47. A visible city blocks fog 'border' at large distances has been minimized; 48. An issue with certain European buildings glowing in the night has been fixed; 49. A GUI issue that could cause the regiment symbols to disappear from the Career creation screen has been fixed; 50. A GUI issue that could cause the mission start coordinates to reset to 0 on the Career HQ screen; 51. Water explosions of large bombs have dedicated graphical effects; 52. 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000(1800) and 2500 kg bombs now have more diverse graphical explosion effects; 53. Soviet Tank Crew tanks headlamp lens, visor, and mirror textures have been improved; 54. The issues with pilots and tankers animations have been fixed in multiplayer; 55. The bomber group leader will correctly proceed to the next waypoint after dropping the bombs.

Update 4.602 Dear friends, Today we’re releasing another update, 4.602, that brings to you two new aircraft at once. British Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib is the first and it is available in Battle of Normandy Early Access now - this powerful, fast and heavily armed machine could handle a variety of combat missions. New tactical numbers and dynamic impact marks technologies already work for it and it has a wide array of modifications - another engine, propeller, gunsight, additional armor and dust filter. The second star of the day is the late Great War German monoplane Fokker D.VIII, which also supports the new tactical numbers and hit marks technologies. Having the same engine as Fokker Dr.I triplane, but a much better aerodynamical profile, resulted in a significant boost in combat characteristics. The only wing of this airplane had an unusual design for its time - it had load-carrying skin made of plywood instead of fabric. Being a late war plane, Fokker D.VIII could be equipped with Oigee collimator gunsight and was armed with two 7.92 mm LMG 08/15 Spandau. It is now available to all owners of Flying Circus Vol.II. Moreover, there are 20 new AI-controlled objects added in this update - they were developed for the Battle of Normandy. They are British in origin mostly, but there are additions for the US and Germany as well. Some of them are new types in our project - radars and reinforced concrete bunkers. In addition to all that, 4.602 addresses a lot of things - many graphical and audio effects are improved, there are several fixes for aircraft and ground vehicles AI, a significant improvement in ballistics, etc. The detailed change list follows: Main features 1. Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib fighter-bomber is now available to all owners of the Battle for Normandy; 2. Fokker D.VIII monoplane is now available to all owners of the Flying Circus Vol.II; 3. American paratroopers have been added to the project and can be dropped from C-47. The corresponding missions will be added to the Career mode later; 4. New graphical effects for various armor-piercing shell and bullet impacts added; 5. Improved graphical effects of burning ground vehicles and balloons added; Aircraft changes 6. Fixed “jaggedness” of some shadow edges in cockpits; 7. Restored canopy glass sun effects; 8. Single AI plane takeoff fixed (in some cases the takeoff run was delayed for too much); 9. Aircraft AI bug fixed which could cause it to ignore points of the airfield taxiway; 10. Fixed visibility of P-51D-15, P-38J-15, Ju-52, He-111H-6, B-25D, Il-2-42 and Il-2-43 at distances over 1 km (they appeared smaller relative to other aircraft); 11. P-51D-15 weapons and chassis can be damaged by collisions; 12. Missing luminescent illumination on the watch bezel in Bf 109 K-4 cockpit added; 13. Pe-2 series 35 propellers won’t visibly disappear at medium distances; 14. Hurricane landing lights won’t visibly disappear at medium distances, creating holes in their niches; 15. Bristol Fighter's Lewis machine gun casings ejection location has been corrected; Player controllable vehicles changes 16. Pz.VI commander cupola wall armor thickness has been corrected (it was doubled before); 17. 72-K AAA: an incorrect operation of the automatic gunsight kinematics at intermediate elevation angles has been corrected (with zero corrections the sight axis appeared much higher than the barrel axis); 18. 72-K AAA: technochat messages will correctly appear in multiplayer for other players that joined its crew; Career mode changes 19. The player can join new squadrons: 587 BAP in Stalingrad and Kuban careers and 46 GNBAP in Kuban career; 20. New targets for "Railway junction air strike" and "Railway junction bombing strike" mission types added in Rhineland career (Bodenplatte): Antwerp, Liege, Mainz, Frankfurt, Bonn, Cologne, Duisburg, Bruxelles, Charleroi, Dusseldorf, Munster, Koblenz, Eindhoven, Tilburg, Nijmegen, Essen, Enschede, Hengelo and Osnabruck railyards; 21. Typhoon Mk.Ib added to Rhineland Career mode: No. 175 Squadron RAF, No. 197 Squadron RAF, No. 247 (China British) Squadron RAF, No. 440 Squadron RCAF, No. 609 (West Riding) Squadron RAF and 16 more AI squadrons; 22. Formerly AI-only 587th BAP in Stalingrad Career can be joined by the player; 23. Formerly AI-only 587th BAP and 46th GNBAP in Kuban Career can be joined by the player; AI-controlled objects changes 24. Simple AI ground vehicles correctly leave trails on unpaved airfields; 25. Simple AI wheeled vehicles correctly collide with static objects; 26. Simple AI tracked vehicles won’t make too sharp turns; 27. Sd.Kfz 251 1C half-track correctly leaves a trail; 28. The antenna of the airfield locator beacon now always stands vertically, regardless of the surface slope; 29. 10.5 cm Flak 38/39 anti-aircraft gun has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 30. QF 3.7-inch AA anti-aircraft gun has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 31. 40 mm Bofors L60 rapid-fire anti-aircraft gun has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 32. 3,7 cm FlaK 43 rapid-fire anti-aircraft gun has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 33. Ordnance QF 17-pounder anti-tank gun has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 34. BL 5.5-inch gun has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 35. Bren Mk.I machine gun in two variations (for firing at ground and air targets) has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 36. AMES Type 7 mobile radar station has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 37. SCR-584 mobile radar station has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 38. FuSE-65 Würzburg-Riese stationary radar station has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 39. British 150 cm anti-aircraft searchlight has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 40. M1-VLA low-altitude balloon has been added for the Battle of Normandy (for now it can’t be bind to a ship); 41. M3A1 half-track has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 42. Sd.Kfz. 222 armored car has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 43. Dodge WC-54 ambulance has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 44. Austin K2 / Y ambulance has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 45. H 634 machine-gun pillbox has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 46. H 630 concrete machine-gun pillbox has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 47. H 272 concrete gun pillbox has been added for the Battle of Normandy; 48. Batterie Todt concrete heavy artillery bunker has been added for the Battle of Normandy; Other changes 49. Enemy aircraft that appear in AAA QMB during winter should have a corresponding winter skin; 50. Missing preview images added for various objects in the mission editor; 51. Ballistics of bullets, shells, bombs and rockets now take into account the decrease of the air density with altitude; 52. Heavy anti-aircraft artillery ballistics were corrected; 53. Heavy artillery ballistics were corrected (at large distances the flight time and the height of the projectile trajectory correspond to the barrel elevation angle quite accurately); 54. In multiplayer, the jittery turning animation of gunners was corrected.

Dear Friends, The team is on a well-deserved extended weekend and Jason is lost in the middle of America on a research mission, so today’s DD is very straightforward. Behold the jet powered Arado AR 234 B-2 bomber! What sleek lines she has! As you saw last week, the Arado’s unique cockpit is also in development. We are working as hard as we can to make her operational as fast as we can. The Sturmovik Team

Dear Friends, This Dev blog is a bit unusual - I wanted to illustrate how the virtual world created by our team is not just a place to show nice-looking aircraft and vehicles, but it comes really close to real world experiences and situations (which is the ultimate goal of any sim). This past Saturday night, myself and Roman (one of our flight model and aircraft systems engineers) had time to enjoy our sim as players and our experience turned out much like the real Eastern Front air clashes - somewhat confusing, challenging and stressful. We flew a pair of Yak-9Ts to patrol a water basin area where both Soviet and German priority targets were located. I was the flight leader and... it didn't go well. Upon reaching the area, I spotted a target flying at our altitude at a 7-10 km distance and closed up to identify it. The target started to do shallow, full-speed evasive maneuvers. I identified it as Fw 190 even though I wasn't totally sure. Roman (my wingman) wasn't confident as well and we continued the approach. At a closer distance where a positive ID could be obtained the target made a sharp evasive maneuver that continued as a dive so I decided to engage. The first single 37 mm shot connected and the target exploded, the pilot was killed. Very cool to watch, but immediately we saw the report (in the chat) that a La-5 was destroyed. Oh no! Quite a negative combat situation – I was thinking about the inevitable court-martial as we continued the patrol. Then Roman spotted a target on the right - a medium-sized twin-engine aircraft not more than 2 km away. Having forgotten about the tragedy that just happened for a moment, we rushed to it. This time we closed to be absolutely sure what it is - it could be Bf 110, but also a friendly Pe-2. Climbing up from below the contact, Roman identified it to be German by yellow wingtips and he started his attack, but the German pilot wasn't sleeping and successfully evaded the attack while his rear gunner hit the Yak’s radiator. But this is why a pair is always more effective than a single fighter - having evaded Roman's attack the 110 exposed itself to me! A short 37 mm burst connected and blew off part of its wing. The pilot tried to keep his plane in the air, but couldn’t manage to do it and fell to the ground below. We didn’t see any chutes. Apparently though, the 110 wasn't alone. A fighter that must have been providing cover saw what had happened and quickly closed the distance between us. Roman managed to spot it just in time and maneuvered smartly to get onto his six o'clock, then the FW made a fatal mistake and made a sharp climb which slowed him down and made himself a fatter target with much less deflection than say a sharp diving turn would have. I always find it easier to lead a climbing target than a turning target. A few 37mm rounds connected making it a falling wreck. Since Roman's radiator was leaking and our 30 rounds ammo was nearly spent, I made a decision to return to base immediately. In spite of the damage sustained, Roman’s Yak successfully reached the airfield and landed in time. After cutting off the engine and opening the cockpit canopy, the thrill of victory quickly left and a dark feeling of the grave episode of mistaken identity set in – a Willy’s jeep containing the Commissar pulled up. P.S. An interesting thing - I wrote this immediately after the landing and before viewing the flight record. After viewing it, I believe this experience proves that what we had just done was even more lifelike and close to what you usually read in pilot memoirs than I first thought. When I saw the flight record, it turned out that when I wrote 'the first single shot' or 'a short burst' I couldn't be more wrong. I fired at least five short bursts at the first target (the friendly La-5) before I hit it. The second target was also hit only after firing for some time when it was doing scissors evasion maneuvers. This is close to historical reality as well - memories of combatants can sometimes be confused or tell a different story than reality. It’s this kind of thing that helps make our job of creating a ‘simulation’ difficult at times. Update on IAR-80/81 On the actual development front, our modeling partner Ivan is working hard on the IAR-80/81 and it’s beginning to take shape nicely. When we see the cockpit starting to take shape, we will offer it up for Pre-Order. This plane promises to be very interesting. Battle of Normandy objects development We're happy to report a good progress on the Normandy project. The most of the buldings anf ground vehicles are ready and the work on the sea objects is going at full head flank speed - today we can show you a couple of screenshots straight from 3D editor screen. This is WIP model of a Gleaves class destroyer that participated in the invasion.

Dear Pilots, Today we want to show you some WIP pics of the P-51B/C with the birdcage style canopy. It really changes the look of the P-51 and it's obvious why they changed to the bubble style canopy with the "D" model and some "B" airframes had their birdcage replaced with the 'Malcolm Hood' canopy which was a semi-bubble modification. We will also model the Malcolm Hood. Also, if you happen to have any detailed references on the Malcolm Hood's canopy frame, rails or emergency release mechanism please share them with us. We could use some more detailed pictures or drawings of it. The P-51B/C is unfortunately behind schedule and should have been ready by now, but she is getting ever closer to release and likely to be finished next month. Also, here is a pic of our American bomber pilot model ready to face some German flak! Enjoy! The Sturmovik Team

Hello Everyone! Today’s Developer Diary has just one task. To show you the mighty Ju 88 C-6 in the engine and decimating targets with her awesome firepower. Don’t get caught in her gunsight because she can unleash a hellish barrage or bullets, cannon fire or bombs! A couple of these heavy hitters can wreck a convoy or an airfield in no time. These images also include our New Sky which is nearing readiness for release soon. You’ll notice it looks not only more beautiful, but more realistic with no banding in low light conditions. The new sky when coupled with the new clouds and some new adjustments to the lighting, combines to make a beautiful scene! We’ve also added the ability to set the time to the exact hour and minute you want in the Quick Missions GUI so it will be much easier to fly during your favorite time of day. Enjoy! The Sturmovik Team

Dear Pilots and Tankers! Today’s DD gives you a glimpse of the gorgeous scenes that are possible with the new Normandy map which is rapidly nearing completion and we give you a sneak peak at the progress on the Churchill Mk.IV exterior and interior. Below are some recent screens I’ve taken with each of the aircraft built specifically for Battle of Normandy including the AI piloted B-26. Of course, all of these planes can be flown alongside your own or against in any title in the series. This really is our most detailed and complex map we’ve ever made and pushes our current map technology to its limit. It will provide countless hours of great missions and historical re-enactments of this pivotal battle and theater of the war. We think you’ll like it. Below are some very WIP images of the Churchill Mk.IV tank coming to Great Battles. As you can see the interior is NOT textured completely, but you can tell that our friends at DigitalForms have once again done an amazing modeling job! It’s another very busy summer for us. Stay tuned! Enjoy!

Dear Friends, Our team has finished the development of the new update 5.004, and it is released. Sopwith Snipe and many updates. The year 2022 is drawing to a close and we did our best to bring you a new update on Christmas Eve. It bears the number 5.004 and adds the Great War Collector Plane Sopwith Snipe to our series. It is a late war aircraft equipped with the most powerful Bentley BR2 rotary engine, producing up to 234 horsepower. By comparison, the Sopwith Camel fighter's Clerget 9B engine produced 130 hp. At the same time, however, the Snipe is 200 kilograms heavier than its predecessor (more than a quarter). Overall, the new fighter is more stable in flight and has better speed and climb characteristics. Everyone who has purchased an airplane now has the opportunity to master it and use it in combat. In addition to the new vehicle, in update 5.004 we are releasing two AI armored vehicles for the Normandy and Bodenplatte projects - the M8 Greyhound and the SdKfz 234/2 Puma. You'll find new scenario missions for Churchill and StuG III in this update, they were created by community enthusiast super-truite and his friends. More than 80 improvements were made to the "Western Front, Spring 1918" map, which is in the early access phase and is currently being finalized. There are a number of other improvements and fixes to player controllable aircraft, tanks and artificial intelligence. A complete list of changes in the version 5.004 follows: 5.004 1. The Sopwith Snipe, a Royal Air Force collector aircraft from the final phase of the Great War, is now available to its owners; 2. Battle of Normandy AI armored vehicle M8 Greyhound added; 3. Battle of Normandy AI armored vehicle SdKfz 234/2 Puma added; 4. Scenarios for collectible vehicles Churchill and StuG III added (super-truite); 5. Mk.37 rig model for the 5'/38-gun Mk.12 on the Bayfield and Liberty ships updated; 6. Fixed a bug in the aircraft AI leading to incorrect maneuver choices and incorrect aircraft behavior in aerial combat, which was especially noticeable on WWI airplanes; 7. AI pilots correctly climb while maintaining formation; 8. AI pilots controlling high speed capable aircraft are less likely to use risky high-altitude maneuvers at lower altitudes (previously these could led to a collision with the ground); 9. AI pilots should better avoid collisions in some maneuvers, especially in a frontal attack; 10. The tail section damage texture has been fixed on all Bf-109s; 11. The placards were corrected along with other minor improvements on Bf-109 E7, He 111 H6/H16, Ju-87 D3, Spitfire Mk.Vb/IXe/XIV (Oyster_KAI); 12. Incorrect operation of GUI information bar in player controllable tanks has been fixed; 13. C-47A: a number of visual inaccuracies and technical problems with the aircraft model has been fixed, including the shape of upper air intakes on engine nacelles; 14. C-47A: phosphorescent cockpit instrument illumination restored; 15. C-47A: fixed a bug with a broken window when the landing door is opened for bailing out; 16. C-47A: fixed a bug in the bail out animation that caused crew members to visually appear outside the cockpit for a moment; 17. C-47A: added a feature to align engine flaps with the flow; 18. C-47A: a fixed bug with radio compass working on powered off aircraft; 19. Me 262A: fixed reflections in cockpit instruments; 20. Stug III Ausf. G gun now takes more time to reload if the loader is unbuttoned; 21. Crew gestures have been added for the Churchill IV and the Stug III; 22. Stug III Ausf. G - fixed an incorrect position of the machine gun after loader's death, if it was in anti-aircraft position; 23. Stug III Ausf.G. - corrected wrong animation of the side correction input control; 24. Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G - main gun reloading sound aligned with the visual animation; 25. Mission editor: skins which consist of several textures are correctly displayed in the skin list; 26. It is possible to shoot off the trunk behind the turret on Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M, Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G, Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.H and Churchill IV; 27. It is possible to shoot off the commander cupola on the Tiger; 28. Range of smoke grenade launchers corrected for all player controllable vehicles; 29. Improved sorting of visual effect particles; 30. Western Front map, Spring 1918: Treizennes airfield added; 31. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: Clairmarais airfield moved; 32. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: Ferme airfield is renamed Filescamp Farm; 33. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: Droogland Airfield moved to square 0205-8; 34. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: removed second Epehy; 35. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: added bridge to the fortress in square 0408-9; 36. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: Hoog Huys manor added; 37. Map of Western Front, Spring 1918: added Ferme manor; 38. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: Removed flooded railroad track; 39. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: corrected railroad tracks in square 1202; 40. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: Hoog Huys Airfield moved; 41. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: Filescamp Farm airfield moved; 42. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: added homestead near Droogland airfield; 43. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: corrected wrong track crossing in quadrant 0305-8; 44. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: improved appearance of Thionville Steelworks East and Thionville Steelworks; 45. Western Front Map, Spring 1918: the village of Crochte has been renamed Merckeghem; 46. Western Front map, Spring 1918: Hondschoote village renamed Esquelbecq; 47. Western Front map, Spring 1918: Droogland village moved to square 0205-8 and renamed Winnezeele; 48. Western Front map, Spring 1918: Kemmelberg village moved to square 0207-5 and renamed Kemmel; 49. Map of the Western Front, Spring 1918: Aire is renamed Aire-sur-la-Lys; 50. Map of Western Front, Spring 1918: 25 obstructions on road network removed; 51. Map of the Western Front, Spring 1918: 15 wrong dead ends on the road network were removed; 52. Western Front map, Spring 1918: corrected 18 problematic entrances to railroad bridges. And to see the Snipe in action, check out our Youtube channel:

Hello Pilots, Stormbirds summed up the new updates for Cliffs of Dover. A series of updates over the last several days have focused on the work that Team Fusion Simulations is busy doing turning IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover into a VR supported sim. That’s not all because they are also busy upgrading the visuals of the sim with higher resolution textures and TrueSky technology for new volumetric clouds. Here’s the latest! Try and find the bombers in these clouds Higher resolution textures, VR support, and volumetric clouds round out the headline features of a future visual update coming to IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover Blitz and Desert Wings – Tobruk. These veteran sims are getting one of the most significant updates in the series’ history when it comes to core technologies and the inclusion of the new cloud technology, on its own, will likely be as transformative as it has been for other sims that have employed it. I couldn’t agree more with this statement from Team Fusion. Have a look at some of the screenshots below or check out even more 4K resolution images here. As of yet, no release date has been offered for this update and work appears to be ongoing on this project. Still, it seems like we’re getting closer to do the time when it will become available. It should be very interesting to check out when we get there. More to come!

We will see, it was requested by many players and 1C made their numbers ...

Dear Friends, As 2022 draws to a close, we are completing our work on bringing the AI objects to the Normandy project that we previously promised. The first one is the Fighter Direction Tender. FDT are radar surveillance and control ships. They were actively used during the Normandy Landing in 1944 to coordinate the actions of Allied aviation and provide radar cover for the landing zones. We created three ships, FDT-13, FDT-216, FDT-217, based on the LST class dock landing ships, which bore the same hull numbers before modernization. Their modernization was carried out on the shipyards of the west coast of Scotland, away from the active enemy forces. During the modernization, various radio communication, electronic interception, and radar antenna equipment were installed on the upper decks of the ships, including two powerful Type 15 GCI and Type 11 radars. These ships played a prominent role in the events of D-Day. The second AI object is a German eight-wheeled armored car Sd.Kfz. 234/2 Puma. This “slash-two” modification was the second by numbers among all the Pumas produced during the war: 101 out of 478 vehicles. This modification took part in the events of 1944, which the Battle for Normandy project tells about. It is a variant armed with the 50mm KwK-39 cannon (similar to the one used on later modifications of the Pz.Kpfw. III tanks), located, unlike later modifications with a 75mm cannon, in a fully enclosed and armored rotating turret. The car is notable for quite good frontal armor of the hull and turret (up to 30mm), as well as its unique chassis, which is worth mentioning by itself. The chassis is built based on an independent levered suspension of all 8 wheels and their coupled wheel springing. All the wheels of the Puma are driving and steerable. All this together, as well as a 12-cylinder V-shaped diesel engine Tatra 103 with a 210 horsepower capacity, provided very good cross-country ability, maneuverability, and speed. The third is a lighter American armored car, M8 Greyhound. This three-axle all-wheel drive vehicle, unlike the Puma, had a classic chassis design with 3 leading solid beams and a front steering axle, less body armor (up to 19mm in the front), and lighter armament, the 37mm M6 cannon placed in an open-top turret. An important quality of the vehicle for infantry units was the additional heavy .50 cal Browning machine gun mounted on the rear of the turret. Possessing more modest characteristics and a less revolutionary design, however, the Greyhound was a third lighter than the Puma and obviously easier to manufacture. In the conditions of the Second World War, this was largely a determining factor. Moreover, the Greyhound turned out to be a rather successful armored car that was used in various conflicts for a great many years after the 1945.

Some additional Hi-Res shots of existing planes. Unless otherwise specified, these are HI-RES images of aircraft and vehicles in the SIM and are NOT an in-game engine render. This is just showing off the artwork and detail.

Update 5.003 Dear Friends, Our team has finished the development of the new update 5.003, and it is released. This time we will launch three new pieces of new content at once. The first object is the C-47 "Skytrain" we have talked about in Dev Blog #331. This big guy has been developed together with Yugra Media company which created the 3D model of the cockpit and updated the external model of this aircraft. It wasn't easy, but this plane is interesting to become familiar with. This most popular military transport plane of WWII is now available in Pilot's Career mode during the Normandy and Rhineland timeframes. You'll be assigned missions like Cargo Delivery, Special Forces Paradrop and Cargo Paradrop (the second and third mission types can occur both during daytime and nighttime in Normandy career). We're hoping you'll enjoy flying it. The second one is the Western Front 1918 map created for Flying Circus Vol. 2. At this time the flyable zone corresponds to the Rise of Flight map while the buildings and objects are placed in the two most important zones as it was planned for FC Vol.2: Amiens - Lille - Saint Quentin (North-West) and Thionville - Saint Dizier - Nancy (South-East). Both WWI maps, Arras and the new Western Front one are available to owners of either Flying Circus Vol.1 and Vol.2 as we have promised during the project announcement. We hope to continue WWI development in the future and complete the scene along the frontline. For now, the map is WIP even for FC Vol.2 and the development of Career and Advanced Quick Mission modes for it are ongoing. The Quick Mission mode for it is already available, while Yugra-Media continues improving the map itself. The third new arrival is StuG III Ausf.G - we have talked about this steel German beast in Dev Blog #333. The modeled assault gun was created by MIAG factory using the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M chassis produced by MAN factory. This combat vehicle is the popular Ausführung G version. The most mass produced modification, numbered around 7800 units. They were armed with the 75mm StuK 40 L/48 gun with artillery periscope and equipped with Schurzen side armor sheets, smoke grenade launchers and an infantry MG34 stowed in the fighting compartment which was operated by an unlucky loader who had to expose himself to fire it. The completion of StuG III allows us to present new Tank Crew editions: Premium and Deluxe. Tank Crew Premium Edition offers the complete Tank Crew - Clash at Prokhorovka experience by adding 4 Collector Vehicles to the already impressive list of 10 legendary combat vehicles. A detailed Prokhorovka map and two campaigns of the original Tank Crew. This Premium Edition is available on our website. The Deluxe Edition is available on Steam and includes Battle of Stalingrad in addition to all this. Either edition offers huge savings compared to purchasing its contents independently. Of course, this is not all. For instance, Steel Birds campaign has been updated to accommodate the new tactical numbers system and is now available on Steam. There are dozens of other additions and fixes and the work on improving Great Battles continues. The full changelist follows: Main Features 1. The "Western Front, Spring 1918" map is available in Early Access to all customers who pre-ordered Flying Circus Vol. 2 and to all owners of Flying Circus Vol. 1 as we promised at the time of the announcement. Quick Mission mode works already, the work on finalizing the map and implementing the Pilot's Career and Advanced Quick Mission modes for it continues; 2. The C-47 "Skytrain" transport plane is now available to all who have pre-ordered it. In addition to QMB and AQMG modes, this aircraft can be selected in Normandy and Rhineland Career mode timeframes; 3. The German StuG III Ausf.G assault gun is now available to all who have pre-ordered it; 4. AI-controlled tank Pz.Kpfw. V Ausf.G Panther added; 5. AI-controlled Morris C9B self-propelled anti-aircraft gun with Bofors 40/L60 cannon added; 6. AI-controlled Universal Carrier Mk.II added; 7. The variety and historical consistency of aircraft and tank tactical numbers in Quick Mission, Advanced Quick Mission, and Pilot's Career modes increased; 8. Added the ability to remove external fuel tanks on player-controllable T-34 and SU-122; 9. Smoke grenade launcher functionality added on player-controllable Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M, Pz.Kpfw.V Ausf.D, and Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.H1; 10. Improved structure damage modeling of WWI airframes under load (their G-limit drop from rifle caliber bullet hits is not as drastic as before). Other Changes 11. The target distribution in AI aircraft groups has been adjusted. Priority targets like anti-aircraft guns are engaged by one to four planes in the group depending on the leader's AI level, other wingmen will choose other targets; 12. Steel Birds historical campaign has been updated. All flights are assigned tactical numbers according to the time period and specific unit, many other fixes and improvements were made;. 13. The animation of guns in turrets when switching positions has been corrected. 14. Turrets return to default positions when the crew leaves the plane. 15. The cocking animation when reloading the magazine has been restored. 16. Dynamic damage hit marks correctly appear on auxiliary armor panels on Fw 190 A-8, Fw 190 A-6, B-26B55 and others. 17. IL-2 mod. 1943: formation lights won't visually double at a distance. 18. USS Gleaves: torpedo launcher effects are aligned with its position. 19. USS Gleaves: torpedoes in the water are visible at a distance correctly. 20. Custom paint schemes won't have tactical numbers automatically assigned. 21. Normandy videos now have subtitles in Russian, Chinese, German, Spanish and French.; 22. Career ground attack aircraft escort missions won't be randomly generated in a corner of the map. 23. AI-controlled Ordnance QF 17-pounder gun now aims correctly. 24. Churchill IV gunfire sound replaced by a more suitable one. 25. PzKpfw IV Ausf.H is correctly visible at a distance. 26. PzKpfw IV Ausf.H model updated in many ways. 27. The PTK commander's panorama on SU-152 works correctly again. 28. Churchill speed indicators corrected. 29. Ferdinand gunner station now has a mirror for the bubble level indicator. 30. Ferdinand station notes (in-game help) updated. 31. Previews for T-34 mod. 1943 skins restored. 32. Fixed an error in submarines' torpedo launching algorithm, which sometimes caused the torpedoes to explode prematurely. 33. Radiator leakage effect excessive brightness has been reduced. 34. AI pilots won't sometimes taxi after landing in the wrong order. 35. AI pilots whose aircraft are unable to land will now be put at the end of the landing queue. 36. Tank fuel tanks can catch fire even if the engine is knocked out (previously this was blocked to prevent effects doubling). 37. In a case of MG misfire in a player controlled tank the cocking sound can be heard. 38. The disappearance of techno chat messages in Dogfight that could occur in a next flight after bailing out has been fixed. 39. Parachutes appear in multiplayer correctly when there is a wind. 40. The death animation of the A-20 top gunner has been corrected. 41. Yak-9 and Yak-9T: corrected the appearance of extended landing gear warning lights. 42. The rear landing gear of Flying Circus airplanes leaves a correct sized trail on the ground. 43. GUI: the operation of the armament panel in the HUD when there are multiple switchable positions has been corrected. 44. GUI: fixed HUD elements "blinking" at commander's seat. 45. Airco DH4 wreckage appearance has been corrected. 46. Damaged Gotha G.V. airplanes look correct at a distance; 47. Mission Editor: Entente and Central Powers units are displayed in blue and red respectively. 48. Mission Editor: Entente and Central Powers countries are correctly displayed in the Order/Opposition lists in the object properties of the Location type. 49. Mission Editor: the Move Camera to Object command for objects in the mission tree now has a keyboard shortcut Shift+RClick. The right mouse button click with Shift on an object in the mission tree will move the camera to this object. 50. Mission Editor: the Set on Ground command now works recursively for objects in groups and for groups within other groups. 51. U-2VS: a missing rocket on the left wing was added to ammo variants #20 and #29. 52. Tactical number colors were corrected in scenario campaigns. 53. Bomb and rocket aiming helpers won't jitter when enabled.

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.

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

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.