In update 1.65 we plan to introduce one of the most anticipated features in Simulator battles: 3D cockpits for all aircraft that do not have them at the moment. Due to the absence of cockpits SB bomber pilots did not have proper immersion on the one hand, and had superior view with the virtual cockpit on the other. This is why we are introducing 3D cockpits - for the majority of multi-seat aircraft in most cases this means a dimensional cockpit model - a simplified cockpit, that takes real aircraft topography into account, as well as pilot allocation and provides a sufficient set of instruments to fly. The decision was made to implement cockpits in this manner for a very good reason. The creation of one bomber cockpit can take as much time as that of an entire fighter aircraft with cockpit! To put that in perspective, to create complete cockpits for all bombers in game would equate approximately to an entirely new nation's complete aviation tree.





View more examples in the full article!


Besides cockpits, there will be another interesting and long anticipated feature - changes in bomber gameplay. Firstly, according to popular demand in Realistic air and combined battles we are switching off the arcade bomb aiming circle, which on one hand will make dive-bombers and attackers more important and on the other hand it will make flying level bombers more interesting and skilfull - players will have to plan their attack and it will encourage them to use bomber view. Secondly, we plan to introduce an option to control bomb doors thus making it possible to drop numerous bombs at once which will make bombing more efficient - at the moment a player has to take the time needed for automatic bomb door opening into account, otherwise bombs usually miss the target.


Another useful feature will be expanded functions for the X-ray mode in the hangar, in this mode, information about the nodes and component characteristics will be displayed, in particular - the model and power of the engine depending on the chosen game mode and unlocked modules.

As well as all this, we have concentrated on fixing a lot of different bugs, the list of these fixes will be published in the final change-log in the upcoming major update.

For more images and to view the full article, click here!

In update 1.65 we plan to introduce one of the most anticipated features in Simulator battles: 3D cockpits for all aircraft that do not have them at the moment. Due to the absence of cockpits SB bomber pilots did not have proper immersion on the one hand, and had superior view with the virtual cockpit on the other. This is why we are introducing 3D cockpits - for the majority of multi-seat aircraft in most cases this means a dimensional cockpit model - a simplified cockpit, that takes real aircraft topography into account, as well as pilot allocation and provides a sufficient set of instruments to fly. The decision was made to implement cockpits in this manner for a very good reason. The creation of one bomber cockpit can take as much time as that of an entire fighter aircraft with cockpit! To put that in perspective, to create complete cockpits for all bombers in game would equate approximately to an entirely new nation's complete aviation tree.





View more examples in the full article!


Besides cockpits, there will be another interesting and long anticipated feature - changes in bomber gameplay. Firstly, according to popular demand in Realistic air and combined battles we are switching off the arcade bomb aiming circle, which on one hand will make dive-bombers and attackers more important and on the other hand it will make flying level bombers more interesting and skilfull - players will have to plan their attack and it will encourage them to use bomber view. Secondly, we plan to introduce an option to control bomb doors thus making it possible to drop numerous bombs at once which will make bombing more efficient - at the moment a player has to take the time needed for automatic bomb door opening into account, otherwise bombs usually miss the target.


Another useful feature will be expanded functions for the X-ray mode in the hangar, in this mode, information about the nodes and component characteristics will be displayed, in particular - the model and power of the engine depending on the chosen game mode and unlocked modules.

As well as all this, we have concentrated on fixing a lot of different bugs, the list of these fixes will be published in the final change-log in the upcoming major update.

For more images and to view the full article, click here!

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Dear players!

We have prepared a special offer for you this weekend – a special bundle with a 30% discount dedicated to the Battle of Moscow. The final price of the bundle will depend on whether you already have some of the packs or not. Be sure to login to the store to see your individual price!

Aircraft Battles
Player vs. Enemy event [Survival] Moscow (AB)
[Operation] Battle of Moscow (RB and SB)

Ground Forces Battle
The Soviet Offensive (AB, RB and SB)

For more information, read the full article here!

Download Wallpaper:
1280x1024 | 1920x1080 | 2560x1440


Dear players!

We have prepared a special offer for you this weekend – a special bundle with a 30% discount dedicated to the Battle of Moscow. The final price of the bundle will depend on whether you already have some of the packs or not. Be sure to login to the store to see your individual price!

Aircraft Battles
Player vs. Enemy event [Survival] Moscow (AB)
[Operation] Battle of Moscow (RB and SB)

Ground Forces Battle
The Soviet Offensive (AB, RB and SB)

For more information, read the full article here!

The Tu-14T (T for “torpedonosyets”, EN: torpedo carrier) is a Soviet jet-powered torpedo bomber. The story of this vehicle’s creation is complex. It was a direct competitor to the famous IL-28 and will also be the first jet-powered torpedo bomber in our game. It will soon join the ranks of War Thunder’s naval aircraft.

The story of the aircraft’s creation is rather long, and it’s all because its competitors, the Tu-14 and the IL-28 became the first series-produced Soviet jet-powered bombers practically at the same time. Work on project 73 (later known as the Tu-14) at OKB Tupolev began in 1947. For its powerplant, the aircraft used three British turbojet Rolls-Royce engines, as using only two turbojet engines wouldn’t have provided the necessary flight characteristics desired. A little later, OKB Klimov developed the more powerful BK-1 engines on the basis of the British Rolls-Royce Nene and the Tu-14 no longer needed its third engine. The extra free space in the aircraft’s tail was taken up by a defensive turret. In 1951, the jet powered Tu-14 bomber with its new BK-1 engines successfully passed state tests and was accepted into service.





Nonetheless, the army preferred the Ilyushin IL-28 and accepted into service at roughly the same time. This meant that the administration of ground troops at the time, gave it preference over the Tupolev vehicle. Subsequent to this, in 1952 all Tu-14s, including those already produced, received the index T (“torpedonosyets”, EN: torpedo carrier) and continued their service, but this time exclusively as naval aircraft. Series production of the Tu-14T continued until February 1953. In total, around 147 vehicles were built.

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article here!

The Tu-14T (T for “torpedonosyets”, EN: torpedo carrier) is a Soviet jet-powered torpedo bomber. The story of this vehicle’s creation is complex. It was a direct competitor to the famous IL-28 and will also be the first jet-powered torpedo bomber in our game. It will soon join the ranks of War Thunder’s naval aircraft.

The story of the aircraft’s creation is rather long, and it’s all because its competitors, the Tu-14 and the IL-28 became the first series-produced Soviet jet-powered bombers practically at the same time. Work on project 73 (later known as the Tu-14) at OKB Tupolev began in 1947. For its powerplant, the aircraft used three British turbojet Rolls-Royce engines, as using only two turbojet engines wouldn’t have provided the necessary flight characteristics desired. A little later, OKB Klimov developed the more powerful BK-1 engines on the basis of the British Rolls-Royce Nene and the Tu-14 no longer needed its third engine. The extra free space in the aircraft’s tail was taken up by a defensive turret. In 1951, the jet powered Tu-14 bomber with its new BK-1 engines successfully passed state tests and was accepted into service.





Nonetheless, the army preferred the Ilyushin IL-28 and accepted into service at roughly the same time. This meant that the administration of ground troops at the time, gave it preference over the Tupolev vehicle. Subsequent to this, in 1952 all Tu-14s, including those already produced, received the index T (“torpedonosyets”, EN: torpedo carrier) and continued their service, but this time exclusively as naval aircraft. Series production of the Tu-14T continued until February 1953. In total, around 147 vehicles were built.

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article here!

The Type 3 Ho-Ni III is a Japanese self-propelled anti-tank gun inspired by the German ‘tank destroyers’ The Ho-Ni III embodied all the best characteristics of the vehicles of its series. This Japanese equivalent of the German Marder has almost reached the battlefields of War Thunder!

The Type 3 Ho-Ni III is a self-propelled anti-tank artillery gun. The Ho-Ni III was the third of the Japanese ‘tank destroyers’, which Japan developed based on inspiration from the German tanks of this class. This SPG was very similar to the previous models of this series, the Ho-Ni I and Ho-Ni II, but surpassed them in multiple ways, embodying all the very best of each of them. The chassis of the medium Type 97 Chi-Ha Kai tank was used as a base, while the Ho-Ni I and II used a simple, unmodernized version of the Type 97 Chi-Ha. The powerful 75 mm Type 90 field cannon was chosen as a gun. In its design, this was a counterpart of the French 85 mm Schneider cannon (85 mle 1927 Schneider). After a small redesign for installation on the tank, this gun was designated the Type 3. The cannon was installed in an armored non-rotating superstructure which, in contrast to the Ho-Ni I and Ho-Ni II, was fully enclosed on all sides and provided optimal protection for the crew. Additional ammo took the place of the machine gun in the hull, and the SPG’s crew was reduced to four (in comparison to the five of the previous vehicles in this series).





Ho-Ni series SPGs went into production in 1942, and the order to design and produce the upgraded Ho-Ni III was received by the Hitachi firm in the beginning of 1944. Due to a shortage of resources and constant bombings, the Japanese industry was only able to produce roughly 35 Ho-Ni III SPGs before the end of the war. Most of them were distributed among divisions tasked with defending Japan itself, while only a few were sent to areas of active military operations such as Okinawa and the Philippines. No records survive of military clashes between the Ho-Ni III and American tanks.

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article here!

The Type 3 Ho-Ni III is a Japanese self-propelled anti-tank gun inspired by the German ‘tank destroyers’ The Ho-Ni III embodied all the best characteristics of the vehicles of its series. This Japanese equivalent of the German Marder has almost reached the battlefields of War Thunder!

The Type 3 Ho-Ni III is a self-propelled anti-tank artillery gun. The Ho-Ni III was the third of the Japanese ‘tank destroyers’, which Japan developed based on inspiration from the German tanks of this class. This SPG was very similar to the previous models of this series, the Ho-Ni I and Ho-Ni II, but surpassed them in multiple ways, embodying all the very best of each of them. The chassis of the medium Type 97 Chi-Ha Kai tank was used as a base, while the Ho-Ni I and II used a simple, unmodernized version of the Type 97 Chi-Ha. The powerful 75 mm Type 90 field cannon was chosen as a gun. In its design, this was a counterpart of the French 85 mm Schneider cannon (85 mle 1927 Schneider). After a small redesign for installation on the tank, this gun was designated the Type 3. The cannon was installed in an armored non-rotating superstructure which, in contrast to the Ho-Ni I and Ho-Ni II, was fully enclosed on all sides and provided optimal protection for the crew. Additional ammo took the place of the machine gun in the hull, and the SPG’s crew was reduced to four (in comparison to the five of the previous vehicles in this series).





Ho-Ni series SPGs went into production in 1942, and the order to design and produce the upgraded Ho-Ni III was received by the Hitachi firm in the beginning of 1944. Due to a shortage of resources and constant bombings, the Japanese industry was only able to produce roughly 35 Ho-Ni III SPGs before the end of the war. Most of them were distributed among divisions tasked with defending Japan itself, while only a few were sent to areas of active military operations such as Okinawa and the Philippines. No records survive of military clashes between the Ho-Ni III and American tanks.

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article here!

The Type 2 Ho-I is a fire-support tank created with the aim of providing proficient reinforcement to armored divisions. This zippy and maneuverable medium tank is equipped with a 75 mm gun with semi-armor-piercing shells chock full of explosives. How did it turn out in the end?

The Type 2 Ho-I is a medium fire-support tank. Its development began back in 1937. Based on experience obtained during military operations in Manchuria, the Japanese military command decided that it would be nice to have a tank with a powerful cannon capable of destroying well reinforced enemy firing positions. Since a support tank must move in tandem with regular tank divisions and with the other vehicles, the highly maneuverable Chi-Ha medium tank was selected as a basis for the Ho-I. In 1942, the Chi-Ha was equipped with the short-barreled 75 mm Type 99 cannon, which was a recast of a German mountain gun produced under license in Japan. And so the Type 2 Ho-I was born.





The Ho-I medium tank was intended for providing proficient support to Japanese armored divisions in which the majority of tanks carried 47 or 57 mm cannons and hence could not effectively take down enemy fortifications. For Japan’s armored forces, the Ho-I was supposed to become the equivalent of the early versions of the Wehrmacht’s Pz.Kpfw. IV. All 33 Ho-I tanks, not counting the first prototype, were eventually built on Chi-He medium tank chassis (the modernized version of the Chi-Ha). Having stood guard over the islands of the Japanese archipelago until the end of the war in the expectation of an American invasion, the Ho-I never managed to take part in the Second World War. We’ve decided to correct this omission, and soon, the Type 2 Ho-I will appear on the battlefields of War Thunder.

Read the full Dev Blog here!

The Type 2 Ho-I is a fire-support tank created with the aim of providing proficient reinforcement to armored divisions. This zippy and maneuverable medium tank is equipped with a 75 mm gun with semi-armor-piercing shells chock full of explosives. How did it turn out in the end?

The Type 2 Ho-I is a medium fire-support tank. Its development began back in 1937. Based on experience obtained during military operations in Manchuria, the Japanese military command decided that it would be nice to have a tank with a powerful cannon capable of destroying well reinforced enemy firing positions. Since a support tank must move in tandem with regular tank divisions and with the other vehicles, the highly maneuverable Chi-Ha medium tank was selected as a basis for the Ho-I. In 1942, the Chi-Ha was equipped with the short-barreled 75 mm Type 99 cannon, which was a recast of a German mountain gun produced under license in Japan. And so the Type 2 Ho-I was born.





The Ho-I medium tank was intended for providing proficient support to Japanese armored divisions in which the majority of tanks carried 47 or 57 mm cannons and hence could not effectively take down enemy fortifications. For Japan’s armored forces, the Ho-I was supposed to become the equivalent of the early versions of the Wehrmacht’s Pz.Kpfw. IV. All 33 Ho-I tanks, not counting the first prototype, were eventually built on Chi-He medium tank chassis (the modernized version of the Chi-Ha). Having stood guard over the islands of the Japanese archipelago until the end of the war in the expectation of an American invasion, the Ho-I never managed to take part in the Second World War. We’ve decided to correct this omission, and soon, the Type 2 Ho-I will appear on the battlefields of War Thunder.

Read the full Dev Blog here!