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Attention Pilots! We are proud to announce that we are now accepting Pre-Orders for three new Collector Planes! We continue to build and offer interesting and legendary aircraft for the Great Battles series that enhances gameplay and offers new experiences to our customers. The following are now available for Pre-Order in the IL-2 Official Webstore! All feature a 20% Pre-Order Discount! - Sopwith Snipe - Siemens-Schuckert D.IV - Spitfire Mk. XIV w/ Teardrop Canopy All three of these planes are in development and we plan to release them later this year and each represents the pinnacle of aircraft design for their respective eras. Sopwith Snipe 7.F1 The Sopwith Snipe was a late-war entry into combat and represented the pinnacle of British Great War fighter aircraft. It began replacing Sopwith Camels in the autumn of 1918 and went on to server post-war after the Armistice was signed in November 1918. The Snipe was the last British fighter to come equipped with a rotary engine – the Bentley BR2. The BR.2 made 230 hp which allowed the Snipe to be a little faster than the Camel. Although not blistering fast by 1918 standards, it was a very maneuverable fighter. The Snipe had a faster rate of climb than the Camel and it could fight superior German machines more effectively at higher altitudes. The Snipe came armed with two .303 machine guns and had improved visibility over its predecessor. It could also carry a small bomb load like the Camel. It’s combat life was short, but both British and Australian squadrons had success with it before the war ended. Siemens-Schuckert D.IV The Siemens-Schuckert D.IV came very late to the Great War that was too late to change Germany’s fortunes, but what machines did make it to front-line squadrons acquitted themselves well. The SS.DIV was the end result of a robust line of Siemens-Schuckert aircraft that saw service in the war and it came with a unique feature. The 200-hp Siemens Haiske SH.IIIa rotary engine had a crankshaft that rotated opposite of the engine and the propeller ’s rotation in an attempt to reduce the torque. The four-bladed propeller gave it a fast rate of climb and a high speed. The SS.DIV was even faster than Germany’s mainstay front-line fighter, the very successful Fokker D.VII. It was also very maneuverable, but reportedly had nasty stall behavior when pushed too far. The SS.DIV was armed with two 2 × 7.92mm machine guns. Spitfire Mk. XIV w/ Teardrop Canopy The Spitfire Mk. XIV, which entered service at the end of 1943, was originally built with a “high back” rear fuselage which restricted visibility to the rear of the plane. To rectify this problem, development of the Mk. XIV with a cut-down rear fuselage and tear-drop canopy began to be developed and built at the end of 1944. These improved Spitfire Mk. XIVs featured full-span wings and were equipped with 2x .50 cal. machine guns and 2x 20 mm Hispano cannons; they could also be fitted with bomb racks to carry 250 lb. and 500 lb. bombs. An additional 64-gallon fuel tank was also fitted in the rear fuselage, which increased the range of the Mk. XIV to over 610 miles on internal fuel. The same Griffon engine that powered the original Mk. XIVs also powered this new model. For reconnaissance work, a camera could be fitted behind the canopy; such planes were known as Fighter Reconnaissance Mk. XIVs and were fitted with clipped wingtips as standard. Spitfire Mk. XIVs with the cut-down rear fuselage and tear-drop canopy started entering service with the Royal Air Force’s 2nd Tactical Air Force in March 1945 and continued in operational service after the end of the war in Europe in May 1945. These improved Mk. XIVs also began to be sent to the South-East Asian Theater in June 1945 but arrived too late to see any combat against the Japanese. The Sturmovik Team appreciates your continued support as we complete our current development schedule and plan for a busy future! See you in the skies! The Sturmovik Team

Attention Pilots! It is our pleasure to announce some new Collector Planes for the IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles series! We are still waist deep in Battle of Normandy and Flying Circus Vol. II development, but we have decided to push on with our partner Ugra Media and bring you a few more iconic and important aircraft! The following planes have long been discussed as possible projects or desired by community members and now we are able to make the commitment to build them. So, without further delay here they are. - C-47A Skytrain - Lisouov Li-2 (Soviet version of the DC-3/C-47) - Sopwith Snipe 7.F1 - Siemens-Schuckert D.IV First, let’s cover the C-47A. We already have the C-47A as an AI piloted aircraft in Great Battles. Many of you have requested that we make a cockpit for it and make it flyable, so we are. This will give the Americans and British a cargo plane, much like the Ju-52 on the German side. The Ju52 has been a good seller for us and a unique experience for fans of IL-2. We want to do the same with the C-47. The C-47 is the military version of the venerable Douglas DC-3 which first took flight in the 1930’s and served all over the world during WWII and very far beyond. Most notably it was the main troop transport for American and British paratroopers during the invasion of Normandy. As you have seen in an earlier Developer Diary, we have already built some awesome looking U.S. Army paratroopers that will jump from C-47s in BON. We are also making British paratrooper models as well., but they are not ready to be shown yet. The C-47 will provide a great new way to fly for the Allies. Work on the C-47 cockpit has already begun so we have decided to open Pre-Orders today as is our tradition for new Collector Planes in development. Please show the ‘Gooney Bird” your love! Pre-Order is available in the IL-2 Official Webstore for just $19.99- a 20% discount off MSRP. Second, let’s talk briefly about the Lisunov Li-2. The Li-2 was a license-built Soviet version of the DC-3/C-47. It served bravely over the Eastern Front with the VVS and was even used as a bomber by the Soviets. Although it is seemingly identical to the C-47 it does have several differences, so extra work is needed to convert our C-47 into an Li-2. Our partners Ugra Media will begin this work once the C-47 cockpit is well in-hand. The Li-2 had different engines and cowlings, different instruments, a different cargo door and other small changes. Some also had a dorsal mounted gun turret for self-defense. The Li-2 will be a welcome addition to our Eastern Front themed titles. We will offer the Li-2 for Pre-Order as soon as work has officially begun in earnest. The C-47/Li-2 holds a special place for us because it represents cooperation between the old Soviet Union and the USA, which for a team of Russian developers and an American producer is a historical metaphor for our own team. Next, we will also partner with Ugra Media to create the British-built Sopwith Snipe 7.F1 fighter. The Snipe was a late entrant into the Great War, only coming to front-line service in the Summer of 1918. However, it was a successful aircraft and helped the Entente fight off the of the terrific late-war German designs in the final months and weeks of the war. The Snipe will be the first truly new WWI aircraft we committed to in a long time and this will bring a new combat experience to Flying Circus Volumes II and III. Pre-orders will be available once the Snipe has entered production. Finally, Ugra Media will build a late-war German fighter as well – that being the Siemens-Schuckert D.IV. Like the Snipe it entered the war late, but was a terrific design and will be a deadly opponent for the Snipe and other Entente fighters. This plane will be a challenge to make as references are tough to come by and we don’t believe any original examples survive today. However, we love a good challenge and plan to make this bird take flight just like all the rest. It’s interesting to see the similarities of the Snipe and SS.DIV designs with their compact bodies which we would image makes them quite maneuverable. When work begins, we will give you a change to pre-order the SS.DIV. All of these new planes do not have an impact on current development timelines for BON or FC2 and FC3 as we have been planning to make these aircraft for a while. We will work once again with our long-time partner Ugra Media to bring them to life in another team effort, much like we did for the famous U-2VS. We hope you enjoyed hearing this news and we look forward to bringing these fantastic aircraft to the Great Battles series! See you in the skies! The Sturmovik Team and Ugra Media