Aces of Thunder News

In December 1943, the U.S. Navy's Curtiss SB2C, a carrier-based scout-bomber, made its first flight. In honor of this event, we will share some information about this aircraft.

In Aces of Thunder, the SB2C-4 version is featured – this is the most produced and final modification of the "Helldivers" that participated in World War II. The aircraft entered production in 1944 and played an active role in the massive strike against the Japanese fleet led by the super battleship Yamato. A total of 2,415 units were built.

The "Helldiver" is a fast aircraft: at an altitude of 5 km, it can reach speeds of up to 441 km/h and boasts one of the most impressive weaponry sets in the game. Your arsenal includes 250 lb, 500 lb, and 1000 lb bombs, HVAR rockets, as well as two variants of Mk.13-6 torpedoes. For those who enjoy shooting down unsuspecting enemy fighters, you can equip two suspended 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns alongside the two 20 mm AN/M2 wing-mounted cannons. However, keep in mind that this will add 240 kg to the already heavy dive bomber's weight, making it even more challenging to maneuver and maintain a safe speed without entering a spin.

Although the rear hemisphere is covered by a gunner operating a turret with two 7.62 mm Browning machine guns, try to avoid having the enemy behind you – maneuver constantly. When attacking ground and naval targets, don't forget about the air brake, especially during steep dives.

In specific missions, you will find two tasks where you can pilot the SB2C-4. In the mission "First Strike," your objective as part of a squadron of "Helldivers" is to conduct a bombing raid on an airfield on Saipan Island. Be warned, interceptors will be coming your way!

In the mission "Second Wave," using your forward armament, you will need to suppress enemy air defenses and artillery. Shore-based guns will attempt to thwart your landing, while agile Japanese A6M3s will oppose American aircraft in the air. Under the cover of P-63A-5 "King Cobras," try to destroy as many ground targets as possible in the first few passes and keep an eye out constantly!

As for the name "Helldiver," it is not related to the aircraft's characteristics. It is a nickname for a waterbird – the Pied-billed Grebe, which inhabits rivers and lakes in North America. It also has another nickname – Water Witch. This bird can dive deeply and stay underwater for a long time. We hope you won’t need that skill in Aces of Thunder.

Dear players! In the comments under our posts you ask, “When will the game be released?” We’d like to let you know that Aces of Thunder has been slightly postponed to 2025. While almost everything is currently ready, we’d like a little extra time to polish the game. In addition, we’ve also decided to prepare more content for Aces of Thunder than we initially planned, which we will discuss in more detail later in a separate developer diary. We will definitely announce the exact release date in a separate news article in the early months of next year.

We don’t want to make all of you wait too long, but our goal is to create an interesting, high-quality, diverse and most importantly fun game that everyone will enjoy playing, and to realise that vision we just need a bit more time. Stick around! We’ve got lots of exciting things still to show you all, we’ll share more very soon!

Our deepest thanks for your patience and support o7

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When we started developing Aces of Thunder, one of the most important questions we faced was about interacting with the interface in VR. Fortunately, we found an organic immersive solution, as every pilot, in addition to their helmet and parachute, has a knee-mounted tablet!

In virtual reality, a diegetic interface that does not disrupt your immersion in the game world is especially important. All interactions in Aces of Thunder occur using your hands, and selecting options in the menu will be no exception: with one hand, you will hold the pilot's tablet, while with the other, you will perform the necessary actions on it.

Choosing the right aircraft, determining its load, changing the game mode, time of day, weather, and so on – your trusty tablet will help you interact with the game interface!

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Just to remind you, you’ll be able to take the pilot’s seat in each of these aircraft, enjoy an extremely detailed cockpit, and control the aircraft directly from a first-person perspective in VR!

The Japanese Air Force is unimaginable without the carrier-based A6M Zero fighter — the most widespread aircraft of the Imperial Navy that was used throughout the entire war: from skirmishes with Chinese pilots and the strike on Pearl Harbor to desperate kamikaze attacks. The islands were defended from American bombing by the J2M Raiden and Ki-61 Hien fighters, while the D4Y Suisei bombers, with speeds comparable to the Zero, effectively countered the Allied fleet.

These are just the aircraft that will be available in Aces of Thunder at release: in subsequent updates we plan to further expand the game’s aircraft. Stay tuned for more news!

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Welcome to our regular news article, where we show you aircraft that will arrive with the launch of the upcoming realistic flight simulator Aces of Thunder! This time, we’ll touch on the aircraft that were used in the Eastern front.

The addition of the Soviet air force in Aces of Thunder will welcome aircraft that are capable of taking on the wonders of mighty German aircraft. These are the Yak-9, which was also flown by Yugoslav partisans, the lighter and more agile Yak-3, and the somewhat maneuverable La-5N. But it’s impossible not to talk about the earlier IL-2 attack aircraft, as it’s one of the most known aircraft in history, nicknamed by its designers as the “Flying Tank”! This aircraft has bombs that are capable of destroying German armor.

These aircraft will be immediately unlocked and available to players at the start of Aces of Thunder. Whatever one you want to take into a combat mission in virtual reality is entirely your choice!