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Developer Diary #355

Dear Friends,

The preparation of the new update continues at full throttle. The CG-4A glider is a challenge as several new features are necessary for its towing, which have never been included in the simulation. The Western FrontWWI map and the last aircraft for Flying Circus Vol. III, the R.E.8 two-seater, are almost complete and receiving final touches.

A quick heads-up: please note that due to the sheer amount of changes we're making to the Flying Circus Career mode (not only is the map much more populated but new aircraft have been added and its timeframe starts earlier) it will not be compatible with the existing careers using this map. If you currently have an ongoing WWI career, we recommend finishing it before December 19th when we will release the new update. Alternatively, you can wait for the update to start a new career.

The long-awaited I.A.R. Collector Plane is also nearing completion. In this case, however, instead of one, there will be two Collector Planes in a single purchase. The long and short variants are quite different, so they are considered distinct aircraft in the game. Each plane comes with its own modifications, paint schemes, flight characteristics, and more. The short version will be available in the December 5.201 update, with the long version following soon before the end of the Winter, likely in January.


The first Romanian fighter to be produced in large numbers was made mostly of metal, except for the stabilizer and flaps which were made of a different material. The flaps and landing gear were operated by hydraulic pressure. The I.A.R.80-A fighter series 106-150 will be the base model for the short version. This fighter was equipped with six 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns that fired German ammunition. Its flying capabilities were comparable to those of the Yak-1, but later versions of the IAR had more powerful weapons and bombs:

  • The I.A.R.80-B series 181-200 had four 7.92 mm machine guns rather than six, as well as two 13.2mm FN Browning machine guns that fired 13.2 mm Hotchkiss rounds.
  • The I.A.R.80-M had two 20 mm MG-151/20 cannons and two 7.92 mm FN Browning machine guns.
  • The I.A.R.81 series 151-175 was equipped with six 7.92mm FN Browning machine guns and was designed to carry up to three bombs weighing up to 400 kg. The underbelly bomb rack had a distinctive parallelogram mechanism, similar to the Ju 87 dive-bomber, preventing bombs from hitting the propeller during dive bombing.

The aircraft was powered by a twin-row radial 14-cylinder air-cooled engine, the I.A.R.-14K; it was licensed from the French Gnome-Rhone 14K. This engine could produce up to 1000 hp in take-off mode. A less powerful version of this type of engine was also present in the Hs-129 B-2 Collector Plane, a German ground attack aircraft.


We have a question for Romanian players or anyone knowledgeable in Romanian aviation during WWII. Do you recall the photo of Squadron Commander Collins's family in the cockpit of our Typhoon? If you have thoughts on what should be the default photos in the IAR cockpit, we'd appreciate your ideas. Maybe a famous pilot's wife or girlfriend? Two photos could be taken during the war years - one for the short IAR and one for the long one.

In other news - if you're interested in Tank Crew details, Daniel 'Han' has recorded a short video describing a new feature for more precise artillery fire, bubble levels in the gunsights of the SPGs we have - SU-152, SU-122, Ferdinand and StuG III G. The video turned out to be a bit too realistic, so please make sure video subtitles are turned on since it might be hard to hear his voice over the engine noise and explosions.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Developer Diary #354

Dear friends,

The development of the big December update continues. Tomorrow, two new aircraft will join the WACO glider and the updated Western Front map in the beta test - one of them is the two-seater R.E.8, a final piece of the Flying Circus Vol.III puzzle.

The R.E.8 was designed to replace the B.E.2, which had become obsolete by that time. Its armament consisted of a synchronized machine gun facing forward and a rear gunner position behind the pilot. This was a departure from the B.E.2 design, which had the gunner in front of the pilot, resulting in some awkward and dangerous firing positions when attacked from the rear. The aircraft was powered by a V-type 12-cylinder air-cooled engine, the RAF4a, and was designed to carry radio and photographic equipment for reconnaissance and artillery spotting, and a small bomb load on underwing racks.


These capabilities made it a very versatile aircraft for its time (it began to reach the front in late 1916), but its pilots weren't thrilled: it was difficult to fly and unforgiving - piloting mistakes could lead to a deadly tailspin. The first front-line squadrons to receive the R.E.8 reverted to the old but combat-proven B.E.2. Eventually the R.E.8s did see combat, and their debut was not very encouraging: in a famous incident on April 13, 1917, six R.E.8s on a reconnaissance mission over the front line were attacked by six Albatros fighters led by Manfred von Richthofen, and all were shot down in a fleeting, one-sided battle with no German losses.


Nevertheless, a new aircraft was desperately needed, and after a modification of the tail unit and the elimination of many small defects, the mass production of the R.E.8 began in several factories and eventually it became the most popular two-seater aircraft used by the British during the Great War. No less than 4077 aircraft were built, making it one of the most common aircraft in the skies over the Western Front. R.E.8s were used for artillery spotting and reconnaissance as well as bombing.


The military designation "R.E.8" shared a familiar ring (pronunciation) with the name of a famous entertainer named Harry Tate, so the aircraft became affectionately known as the "Harry Tate" by its crews. The R.E.8, when operated by experienced crews, performed well in combat and remained in service until the end of the war. 16 squadrons of the Royal Air Force flew the R.E.8 on the Western Front and several other squadrons in other theaters.

This aircraft will complete the aircraft lineup for Flying Circus Vol.III, along with the updated map, making its official release possible. Next week's Dev Blog will feature another WWII aircraft that will also begin beta testing tomorrow - the long-awaited IAR-80.

Developer Diary #353

Dear Friends,

This week's update to version 5.108 was a modest one by our standards, but the next one, 5.201, promises to be a real milestone. Scheduled for release in the second half of December, it will include the official release of Flying Circus Vol. III: the final aircraft in the set - the R.E.8 two-seater reconnaissance/bomber - and the updated Western Front map. The map will be richer than the one once created for Rise of Flight: it will feature five (!) seasons, including late fall, and the Pilot Career mode will include all Flying Circus aircraft. This moment will be the fulfillment of our long-standing idea to have a second edition of our team's first project - Rise of Flight - on a new engine, using modern technologies. The release of the third part of Flying Circus will not be the end, however - the work on recreating a bit more of the WWI land-based aircraft in the world of "Great Battles" will continue in the near future, the work on it has already begun.


In addition, two more WWII Collector Aircraft will be released in Update 5.201 - the Romanian I.A.R.80 fighter and the American WACO CG-4 military glider. Today we will tell you more about the latter.

Military gliders, as a mass phenomenon, belong almost entirely to the World War II era. The development of this class of airborne equipment began in the pre-war years, and they were used in the war by almost all the major participants. The most significant combat episode involving the use of gliders was, of course, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France in June 1944. The use of gliders was massive: more than 800 were used to transport infantry units and their equipment during Operation Overlord, and the main hero of this action was the American WACO CG-4 glider. In total, more than 2000 gliders of this model were delivered to England, but only a little more than 1000 were combat-ready at the beginning of the operation. Still a huge number. A few months later, during the ill-fated airborne Operation Market Garden, more than 1500 gliders were used.


It is interesting to note that the "large military glider" as a class, as suddenly as it appeared before the Second World War, disappeared almost immediately after it. There is no clear explanation for this phenomenon because the disappearance occurred before the aviation epoch had changed forever, when new anti-aircraft weapons or new interceptors would have devalued all the advantages of this type of vehicle, and the development of helicopter technology had not yet reached the level to become an important factor in the capabilities of airborne forces. However, the use of gliders was almost immediately abandoned. Nevertheless, you have the opportunity to experience this period of history in the world of our simulator.


In our simulator, the visual model of the glider was restored with great care by our partner Yugra-Media, and our engineers recreated in its new virtual life all the main features of its control and use. It should be noted that this is a new class of objects for our simulator and we have developed a number of technologies to make its realization possible - for example, a flexible towing cable. It is also interesting that in the multiplayer mode, full interaction will be possible: one pilot will be able to fly a C-47A "Skytrain" and the other a towed glider. There will be a lift cabin as the main cargo hatch, a braking parachute, and different types of cargo: general cargo, jeep, and paratroopers with weapons. You won't have to wait long to take control of this interesting aircraft - it will be available for purchase with the release of a new update.

Update 5.108

Dear Friends,

Another update, 5.108, is live. It adds a new airplane to Flying Circus Vol.III Early Access - this time it is a British two-seater F.E.2b - and fixes a number of minor issues.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
We have covered it in detail in our Dev Blog #352. In short, it was an unusual design compared to the rest of Great War and later aircraft - a pusher two-seater biplane with the gunner positioned in front of the pilot. Later in the war they switched to a night bomber role.


Meanwhile, the preparation of the next update has started already - we're planning to release a lot more new content, including three new aircraft! Please stay tuned, we'll tell you about it in our next Dev Blogs.

5.108 Change List
  1. F.E.2 two-seater airplane is available in Early Access for all owners of "Flying Circus Vol. III";
  2. La-5 and La-5F oil temperature gauge corrected;
  3. Li-2: the clock shows flight time;
  4. Nieuport 17 GBR (British): superfluous parts won't appear among the debris;
  5. Normandy and Rhineland Career mode: Attack Support and Defense Support missions added;
  6. Overlord campaign updated and is now available in Spanish thanks to E69_Cananas;
  7. Achtung - Spitfire! campaign updated;
  8. La-5 and La-5F: default trimmer positions are set for horizontal flight at 3000m altitude in nominal operation mode;
  9. La-5, F, FN: the radius of the damaged propeller was changed so the nose of the aircraft won't "hang" in the air in case of a nose-down incident;
  10. Fixed issue that make it possible to keep an installed modification in multiplayer when moving from the mission where it was available to a mission where it is not allowed;
  11. Albatros D2, Halberstadt D2: fire and fuel tank leakage effects corrected;
  12. U-2VS: bomb sight added.

Developer Diary #352

Dear Friends,

The next update, 5.108, is in the works and today we are starting its beta testing. The next version will include further improvements to the career mode - for example, ground support will be added to the Normandy theater for both offensive and defensive missions. There will be other additions if they are ready in time, but one of the highlights of the next version will be the next Flying Circus Vol.III aircraft - the F.E.2b two-seater.


The F.E.2 was a biplane with a pusher propeller and a sprung landing gear with a front support wheel to minimize the risk of overturning during a bad landing. The entire trailing edge of the upper center section was hinged along the rear spar and could be lowered to act as a flap-type air brake. The forward cockpit was occupied by the observer gunner, with the pilot sitting behind him at a higher level. The engine was almost completely cowled and drove a two-blade pusher propeller.

Interestingly, in February 1915, this type of plane was tested with a brake parachute. This was probably the first time in history that a braking parachute was used on an airplane. A newly designed air brake that had been used on the first F.E.2a was also tested, but the air brake was eventually abandoned.


During testing, the performance of the 100 hp Green engine was found to be unsatisfactory, mainly due to its poor power-to-weight ratio, and the machine was modified to be fitted with a new in-line six-cylinder water-cooled Beardmore engine rated at 120 hp. The center section of the upper wing was made in one piece and the air brake was removed. The aircraft with the new engine made its first flight in March 1915, but the first deliveries to the Royal Flying Corps did not begin until May. The first F.E.2b to go to France was flown to the No. 6 Squadron airfield at Abeele by Captain L.A. Strange on May 20, 1915. By September 25th the squadron had four F.E.2b's in its strength.


Production of the F.E.2b was undertaken by a number of contractors, but it took some time before the machines were available in sufficient numbers; by the end of 1915, a total of thirty-two had been delivered. The first R.F.C. unit to go to France fully equipped with F.Es was No. 20, which arrived on January 23, 1916. No. 25 Squadron followed on 20 February, No. 23 on 16 March, and No. 22 on April 1st.


The F.E.2b was mainly used for the needs of the army: for reconnaissance and for the escort of other aircraft, and it proved to be very worthy in the battles against enemy aircraft. Often grouped with D.H.2 fighters, the F.E.2b fought back against the Fokker monoplanes that dominated the skies at the time. The success of its use in combat was due to the wide sector of fire of the machine guns in the nose of the plane. The plane was also occasionally used to attack ground targets on the front line and in actions on the enemy's rear communications. In the second half of the war, the F.E.2b was widely used as a night bomber; for this purpose, the aircraft were painted black and equipped with night take-off and landing equipment.

The performance of the F.E.2b with the 120 hp Beardmore engine was not outstanding and from time to time attempts were made to improve its flight characteristics. At the end of March 1916, a new version of the Beardmore engine with an increased power of 160 hp appeared, and as it was essentially an improved version of the previous model, it could be fitted without the need for major design changes. Between 1915 and 1918, 1,939 F.E.2b aircraft were produced.


After the release of the previous update and the new La-5F Collector Plane, some players asked us to provide more details about the changes made to the existing Lavochkin family aircraft. Our Lead Engineer "Gavrick" has personally explained the changes.

The La-5 is one of the oldest aircraft in the IL-2 project, it was created during the development of the Battle of Stalingrad 10 years ago and many of the modern approaches and techniques we're using now were just being introduced. The La-5FN was modeled several years later, and while it was built on the basis of the La-5s, certain things were reworked: for example, the effect of engine cowl flaps on aerodynamics was modeled in a different way (but the resulting aerodynamic coefficients remained almost the same). It became obvious that the older La-5 should be reworked to the new technology standards, but we didn't have the time to do it at that time - however, some improvements made to it (the physical models of the constant pressure regulator of the boost manifold and the propeller were made more precise).

And finally, recently the new La-5F was created on the basis of the FN. We finally had time to update everything - the airframe aerodynamics modeling of the old La-5 and the La-5 engine modeling with the modern technique used in the La-5F. So what actually changed for the old La-5 characteristics?

The lift-drag polar diagram remained mostly the same. Engine power and propeller thrust were corrected - but the resulting speed change remained less than 10 km/h. The aircraft became slightly faster at low altitudes and slightly slower at high altitudes, which is historically more correct than the unmodified model. The effectiveness of the stabilizers and controls also changed slightly, so the handling of the aircraft became "sharper", more like the La-5FN.

Therefore, these changes weren't an FM overhaul per se, but rather a list of small corrections and improvements that were necessary to give all three Lavochkin aircraft a common technological base, so that all their differences are caused by design features and not different modeling methods.

That's it for today. Please stay tuned for the 5.108 update - it is planned to be released this month!