Flying Circus Volume 4 Now Available!
Hey everyone! Flying Circus Volume IV is now available for purchase on Steam and is currently discounted by 20% through December 4
IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad News
5.504b Patch
- An air drag calculation error of damaged aerodynamic elements of WWI airplanes has been fixed (it made the airplanes with damaged surfaces fly faster instead of slower);
- There were some reports that improved AAA gunners skill sometimes resulted in killing players in one shot so this change was toned down (AAA skill is low on Enemy Inferiority career setting as it was before the 5.504 update, low or medium on Parity setting and medium on Enemy Superiority setting).
- Parts of the both Strutters and Nieuport 11 no longer should disappear at a distance when damaged;
- Fokker EIII motor canopy has polishing effect, cockpit clock is working;
- Halberstadt D.II anemometer corrected;
- Racing multiplayer mission on Yak-9s added to Multiplayer\Cooperative folder (you can create a server with this mission in the game, Multiplayer - Create Server - Cooperative - select the mission);
- Minor text corrections.
Dev Blog #366
Dear Friends,
We're glad to report that Flying Circus Vol.IV is scheduled to be released next week.
The team working on the Odessa map for the next Great Battles module is also making good progress - more and more settlements are being recreated. On these WIP screenshots, you can see the cities and towns in the area in 1941: Kotovsk, Rybnitsa, Chisinau, Grigoriopol, and Jassy.
And here are the first in-game shots (WIP since the cockpit is not ready yet) of the aircraft many have been waiting for - the I-153 Chaika, which will be included in the same module.
We're glad to report that Flying Circus Vol.IV is scheduled to be released next week.
The team working on the Odessa map for the next Great Battles module is also making good progress - more and more settlements are being recreated. On these WIP screenshots, you can see the cities and towns in the area in 1941: Kotovsk, Rybnitsa, Chisinau, Grigoriopol, and Jassy.
And here are the first in-game shots (WIP since the cockpit is not ready yet) of the aircraft many have been waiting for - the I-153 Chaika, which will be included in the same module.
Dev blog #365
Dear friends,
Today we would like to show you new screenshots of the new module in development. It is planned to include two maps instead of one, Odessa and Karelia, and a number of aircraft suitable for various operations.
On the Karelia map screenshots you can see the port of Kotka and the islands where the two main airfields of the Soviet Baltic Fleet Air Force (VVS KBF) were located: Lavansaari (asphalt airfield) and Seiskari (grass airfield).
Kotka was one of the most bombed places in Finland because it was an important military port for the German Kriegsmarine and the main base for guarding, defending and repairing the sea minefields that trapped the Soviet Baltic Fleet in Leningrad. As the pressure from the Soviet Navy and Air Force increased in 1943, Kotka was protected by about 30 Bf 109 G-2 Messerschmitt fighters bought from Germany and later by the infamous German cruiser Niobe, which was sunk by the Soviet Air Force in July 1944.
Here's a short video made by the Finnish team KarttaKomppania that is developing the map - it shows an air raid over Kotka Harbor.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Among the new aircraft is the Yak-3 series 9 fighter. The artists are currently working on its textures and cockpit.
The Odessa map covers almost all of modern Moldova and small parts of Ukraine and Romania. Since our May Dev Blog about this map, more than 200 medium and small settlements have been added, the transportation network including all roads, railways and their corresponding bridges is finished. We're currently working on the terrain textures and rebuilding the airfields on the map as historically accurate as possible. More than 100 small settlements in Moldova will be added as well.
In other news: we have updated our user agreement on the website - the Schedule No. 3 has been clarified.
Today we would like to show you new screenshots of the new module in development. It is planned to include two maps instead of one, Odessa and Karelia, and a number of aircraft suitable for various operations.
On the Karelia map screenshots you can see the port of Kotka and the islands where the two main airfields of the Soviet Baltic Fleet Air Force (VVS KBF) were located: Lavansaari (asphalt airfield) and Seiskari (grass airfield).
Kotka was one of the most bombed places in Finland because it was an important military port for the German Kriegsmarine and the main base for guarding, defending and repairing the sea minefields that trapped the Soviet Baltic Fleet in Leningrad. As the pressure from the Soviet Navy and Air Force increased in 1943, Kotka was protected by about 30 Bf 109 G-2 Messerschmitt fighters bought from Germany and later by the infamous German cruiser Niobe, which was sunk by the Soviet Air Force in July 1944.
Here's a short video made by the Finnish team KarttaKomppania that is developing the map - it shows an air raid over Kotka Harbor.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Among the new aircraft is the Yak-3 series 9 fighter. The artists are currently working on its textures and cockpit.
The Odessa map covers almost all of modern Moldova and small parts of Ukraine and Romania. Since our May Dev Blog about this map, more than 200 medium and small settlements have been added, the transportation network including all roads, railways and their corresponding bridges is finished. We're currently working on the terrain textures and rebuilding the airfields on the map as historically accurate as possible. More than 100 small settlements in Moldova will be added as well.
In other news: we have updated our user agreement on the website - the Schedule No. 3 has been clarified.
Dev blog #364
Dear Friends,
We would like to let you know that the development of Flying Circus Vol.IV is nearing its end. All of its planes will be released simultaneously in one big update that will be released soon - it is currently in the beta testing phase.
It will bring seven new planes: Airco D.H.2, Albatros D.III, Fokker E.III Eindecker, Roland C.IIa and Sopwith ones - Pup, 1½ Strutter and single-seat Scout 1½ Strutter (Strutter B). In addition to these new aircraft, there are extensive changes to the Western Front WWI map - unlike the new aircraft, these changes will be available to owners of any Flying Circus module. Dozens of new settlements, factories, and airfields are being added, including Paris.
The early World War I Airco D.H.2 and Fokker E.III did not even have a throttle (to reduce engine speed, the pilot had to hold down an ignition switch called a blip switch). In addition, the Airco had a pusher propeller instead of the usual puller propeller to allow forward firing - at the time, this technical task prompted exotic solutions, such as attaching metal deflector wedges to the propeller blades so that projectiles hitting the blades would ricochet. Needless to say, this was a dangerous arrangement that tended to damage the propeller anyway. Sir Geoffrey de Havilland used the development of the "pusher" propeller concept for Airco, where the propeller is located behind the pilot, to get around this problem and make forward firing unobstructed.
After the capture of a French aircraft equipped with metal deflector wedges attached to the propeller blades, Anthony Fokker chose an alternative approach to the problem by creating a gear assembly that connected the shaft of the engine to the trigger of the machine gun. Bullets would be fired only after the propeller blade had cleared the front of the machine gun muzzle and during the gap left as each blade moved in turn around the spinner. Thanks to this invention, the Fokker E.III, the legendary monoplane, was equipped with a synchronizer mechanism, a revolutionary innovation that changed the face of air combat: it was now possible to fire a machine gun through a rotating propeller without damaging it.
This device drastically improved the performance of aircraft in the fighter role: German aircraft dominated the skies until early 1916. This period was known as the "Fokker Scourge." At the same time, biplanes did not have ailerons - roll control was achieved by physically deforming the entire surface of the wings ("wing warping"). This unreliable and ineffective function was replaced by ailerons in later designs.
These exotic features make flying one of them a unique experience even for a seasoned virtual pilot.
Other planes in the list are much more like the planes we are used to - aircraft innovation happened really fast in this era. They are interesting in their own way. For example, the high production rate of the Albatros D.III (1346 built in total) resulted in numerical superiority for German aviation in April 1917, known as the "Bloody April", and its flight characteristics allowed it to remain in frontline service until the fall of 1918 - a very long time for an era when a new design could change the situation in the air very quickly.
The ambition of engineer Tantzen, who designed the Roland C.II, was to present a drastically cleaned-up airframe, eliminating as much as possible the "built-in" drag of the inter-plane, center section strut arrangements, and associated bracing. The streamlined fuselage design and thin wing profile resulted in great performance for its time. It was one of the fastest planes at the front, able to outrun any enemy fighter, but due to its wide oval fuselage and aft pilot position, it was a very unforgiving plane to land: very few pilots who flew this plane did not crash or damage it during landing. Because of its performance, it was often used as a strategic reconnaissance aircraft, capable of flying deep into enemy territory - Allied aircraft couldn't catch it. Later, when the Allies introduced faster fighters, the Rolands were used in close support and reconnaissance roles and were slowly withdrawn from front-line units by June 1917.
The Sopwith 1½ Strutter took its name from the arrangement of the center section of the upper wing - "one and a half" (long and short) pairs of struts supporting the upper wing. It was the first true two-seater fighter to enter service and, in fact, the first British aircraft armed with a synchronized machine gun. The B variant did not have an observer and turret-mounted machine gun - four 65 lb H.E.R.L. bombs were carried in the second cockpit and dropped through the opening below.
The Sopwith Pup was officially designated the 'Sopwith Scout', but soon became nicknamed the 'Pup' due to its similarity to the 1½ Strutter (but with smaller proportions). The Pup nickname was never officially recognized, but it started the tradition of naming all later Sopwith aircraft after a bird or animal. Manfred von Richthofen, after encountering the Pup in combat, remarked, "We saw at once that the enemy plane was superior to ours." The excellent combination of the Pup's light weight and large wing area allowed British pilots to outperform the enemy in dogfights. British ace James McCudden remarked, "It was so extremely light and well surfaced that with a little practice, you could almost land it on a tennis court." As a result, the Pup became the first aircraft to land aboard a moving ship, HMS Furious, on August 2, 1917.
In addition to the WWI additions and improvements, there will be a lot of other changes from the career mode including new mission types to the correction of certain aircraft such as the Tempest. We hope to release the new huge update as soon as possible, in a few weeks - please stay tuned!
We would like to let you know that the development of Flying Circus Vol.IV is nearing its end. All of its planes will be released simultaneously in one big update that will be released soon - it is currently in the beta testing phase.
It will bring seven new planes: Airco D.H.2, Albatros D.III, Fokker E.III Eindecker, Roland C.IIa and Sopwith ones - Pup, 1½ Strutter and single-seat Scout 1½ Strutter (Strutter B). In addition to these new aircraft, there are extensive changes to the Western Front WWI map - unlike the new aircraft, these changes will be available to owners of any Flying Circus module. Dozens of new settlements, factories, and airfields are being added, including Paris.
The early World War I Airco D.H.2 and Fokker E.III did not even have a throttle (to reduce engine speed, the pilot had to hold down an ignition switch called a blip switch). In addition, the Airco had a pusher propeller instead of the usual puller propeller to allow forward firing - at the time, this technical task prompted exotic solutions, such as attaching metal deflector wedges to the propeller blades so that projectiles hitting the blades would ricochet. Needless to say, this was a dangerous arrangement that tended to damage the propeller anyway. Sir Geoffrey de Havilland used the development of the "pusher" propeller concept for Airco, where the propeller is located behind the pilot, to get around this problem and make forward firing unobstructed.
After the capture of a French aircraft equipped with metal deflector wedges attached to the propeller blades, Anthony Fokker chose an alternative approach to the problem by creating a gear assembly that connected the shaft of the engine to the trigger of the machine gun. Bullets would be fired only after the propeller blade had cleared the front of the machine gun muzzle and during the gap left as each blade moved in turn around the spinner. Thanks to this invention, the Fokker E.III, the legendary monoplane, was equipped with a synchronizer mechanism, a revolutionary innovation that changed the face of air combat: it was now possible to fire a machine gun through a rotating propeller without damaging it.
This device drastically improved the performance of aircraft in the fighter role: German aircraft dominated the skies until early 1916. This period was known as the "Fokker Scourge." At the same time, biplanes did not have ailerons - roll control was achieved by physically deforming the entire surface of the wings ("wing warping"). This unreliable and ineffective function was replaced by ailerons in later designs.
These exotic features make flying one of them a unique experience even for a seasoned virtual pilot.
Other planes in the list are much more like the planes we are used to - aircraft innovation happened really fast in this era. They are interesting in their own way. For example, the high production rate of the Albatros D.III (1346 built in total) resulted in numerical superiority for German aviation in April 1917, known as the "Bloody April", and its flight characteristics allowed it to remain in frontline service until the fall of 1918 - a very long time for an era when a new design could change the situation in the air very quickly.
The ambition of engineer Tantzen, who designed the Roland C.II, was to present a drastically cleaned-up airframe, eliminating as much as possible the "built-in" drag of the inter-plane, center section strut arrangements, and associated bracing. The streamlined fuselage design and thin wing profile resulted in great performance for its time. It was one of the fastest planes at the front, able to outrun any enemy fighter, but due to its wide oval fuselage and aft pilot position, it was a very unforgiving plane to land: very few pilots who flew this plane did not crash or damage it during landing. Because of its performance, it was often used as a strategic reconnaissance aircraft, capable of flying deep into enemy territory - Allied aircraft couldn't catch it. Later, when the Allies introduced faster fighters, the Rolands were used in close support and reconnaissance roles and were slowly withdrawn from front-line units by June 1917.
The Sopwith 1½ Strutter took its name from the arrangement of the center section of the upper wing - "one and a half" (long and short) pairs of struts supporting the upper wing. It was the first true two-seater fighter to enter service and, in fact, the first British aircraft armed with a synchronized machine gun. The B variant did not have an observer and turret-mounted machine gun - four 65 lb H.E.R.L. bombs were carried in the second cockpit and dropped through the opening below.
The Sopwith Pup was officially designated the 'Sopwith Scout', but soon became nicknamed the 'Pup' due to its similarity to the 1½ Strutter (but with smaller proportions). The Pup nickname was never officially recognized, but it started the tradition of naming all later Sopwith aircraft after a bird or animal. Manfred von Richthofen, after encountering the Pup in combat, remarked, "We saw at once that the enemy plane was superior to ours." The excellent combination of the Pup's light weight and large wing area allowed British pilots to outperform the enemy in dogfights. British ace James McCudden remarked, "It was so extremely light and well surfaced that with a little practice, you could almost land it on a tennis court." As a result, the Pup became the first aircraft to land aboard a moving ship, HMS Furious, on August 2, 1917.
In addition to the WWI additions and improvements, there will be a lot of other changes from the career mode including new mission types to the correction of certain aircraft such as the Tempest. We hope to release the new huge update as soon as possible, in a few weeks - please stay tuned!