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 https://il2sturmovik.com/store/flying-circus/ 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 https://il2sturmovik.com/store/flying-circus/, 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.

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.

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.


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.

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 https://il2sturmovik.com/store/flying-circus/ 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!

Dear friends,

Update 5.107 has been released! It brings something for everyone - from two additional aircraft of the Great War to a Soviet fighter of 1943 and a historical campaign set in Normandy in 1944.

Let's briefly go through the other important changes first - there are improvements in many parts of the sim. The number of German fighters has been reduced to be more historically accurate in Normandy and Rheinland scenarios and the night bombing and transport missions have been updated in all theaters of war: this includes searchlight beacons, friend-or-foe identification, night fighters, and pathfinder aircraft which fly ahead of the bomber formation and carry out the initial strike to mark the target. In multiplayer dogfight mode, the coalition selection (and therefore the penalty in case of a coalition change) applies immediately when selecting a spawn point, not after the first flight to make spying on the other team's actions harder. The commander menu for player-controllable tanks has a new option for selecting ammunition depending on the target type. Force Feedback users: Flight stick movement affected by control surface weight has been fixed on the Nieuport 11, Nieuport 17, Albatros D.2, Sopwith Triplane, and Halberstadt aircraft. You can view the full change list below.

Now, onto the new content!




Your role in the Overlord campaign (also available on Steam) begins as a replacement pilot arriving with the 354th Fighter Group on D-Day and assigned to the 356th “Red Ass” Squadron under the command of Major Richard Turner. In mid-June 1944 the Pioneer Mustangs flew strike missions across the English Channel from ALG Lashenden during the first V-1 rocket attacks on London and were directly in the path of the “Doodlebugs” as they headed towards their intended targets. They moved to ALG-2 at Criqueville in late June where they flew ground attack, search and rescue, fighter-bomber escort, and fighter sweep missions during all the major battles of Operation Overlord. After the Allied breakout at Saint-Lô, the 354th FG was reassigned to the new XIX Tactical Air Command and moved east with Patton’s 3rd US Army through Paris and eventually into Germany. Due to the hectic flight schedule and squadron reorganization, you will move up from wingman to element leader and finish the campaign as a flight leader.


In terms of tactical characteristics, the La-5F (also available on Steam) was an evolutionary improvement of the La-5 on the way to the La-5FN. There weren't enough FN engines to power all the fighters produced until 1944, so mass production of the La-5F was inevitable through 1943 with continued improvements here and there. As working conditions and resources improved, production standards gradually rose, resulting in, among other things, better aircraft: La-5s produced in summer-autumn 1943 were about 150 kg lighter.

The biggest improvement from the pilot's point of view was the new bubble top canopy with emergency jettison (even our La-5FN series didn't yet have emergency jettison). This eliminated one of their biggest fears, not being able to bail out of a burning aircraft, which caused many to fly with open cockpits, which severely limited the speed of their aircraft. Now they could put that fear to rest and enjoy the improved field of vision - the main reason why bubble top variants became the norm in all air forces later in the war, despite the increased drag they had compared to older canopy designs.

To sum up, the La-5F in the sim is a bit more agile than the older La-5, turns a bit better than even the FN, offers a better field of view, and is slower than the FN in level flight and climb because of the more powerful engine of the latter. With a cockpit modeled for today's standards, it is a nice addition for the second half of the 1943 timeframe.


At first, the Hanriot HD.1 was meant to replace the older Nieuport 11 and 17 planes, but the new Spad 7s were already in use on the front lines and had accumulated positive feedback from pilots for their inline engines. Meanwhile, Nieuport squadrons still used Le Rhone rotary engines. As a result, the French Air Force (Aviation Militaire) decided not to switch to HDs as it wasn't cost-effective, and the acquisition was canceled.

However, the Entente allies found this plane attractive - it was stronger, maneuverable, and slightly better than the Nieuport in general. The Italian Air Force (Aviazione Militaire) had received 831 Hanriots by the end of the war while Aeronautique Militaire Belge bought 125 and used them effectively, especially the Belgian aces like Coppens, de Meulemeester, and Olieslagers.

When the Nieuport 17 arrived on the battlefield in March 1916, it swiftly replaced the Nieuport 11. By the end of 1916, every scout squadron in the French Aviation Militaire had Nieuport 17s. Its superiority over any British plane led to its adoption by the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. The Nieuport 17 GBR was customized for British service with an overwing Lewis MG replacing the Vickers in the nose and Imperial system instruments instead of metric. Many top Allied pilots flew Nieuport fighters, like Albert Ball and Canadian ace W.A. Bishop. Captain William Avery Bishop, of 60 Squadron RFC, scored 28 of his 72 kills in a Nieuport 17, B1566 between April 20th and July 20th, 1917. He also conducted an air raid on a German airfield on June 2nd in this aircraft, earning him the Victoria Cross.

Both airplanes are available right now via the Flying Circus Vol.III Early Access program.

We hope you'll enjoy the new update! See you in the skies!

5.107 Changelist

1. Hanriot HD.1 airplane is available in Early Access for all owners of "Flying Circus Vol. III";
   
2. Nieuport 17 GBR (British) airplane is available in Early Access for all owners of "Flying Circus Vol. III";
   
3. Soviet Collector Plane La-5F series 38 has been released;
   
4. A new historical campaign "Overlord" has been released (American fighter pilot of the 354th Group flying a P-51B Mustang in June-August 1944);
   
5. Normandy and Rheinland Career Mode: the number of German fighters has been reduced to be more historically accurate;
   
6. Career Mode: updated templates for night bombing and transport missions, added searchlight beacons, friend-or-foe identification, night fighters, and pathfinder aircraft;
   
7. Normandy Career Mode: in phases 1 to 3 Allied escort fighters will appear over the airfield when starting a mission on the ground and a kilometer behind the player when starting the mission in the air;
   
8. Tank Crew: the commander menu of the player-controllable tanks has a new option for selecting the ammo depending on the target type;
   
9. AQMB: British C-47 missions added;
   
10. Force Feedback: the effect of flight stick movement by the weight of the control surfaces has been added to Nieuport 11, Nieuport 17, Albatros D.2, Sopwith Triplane, and Halberstadt;
    
11. Dogfight: to make spying on the other team's actions harder, the coalition selection (and therefore the penalty in case of a coalition change) applies immediately when selecting a spawn point, not after the first flight;
    
12. Multiplayer: fixed a problem with the incorrect color of selected tactical code symbols;
    
13. Rheinland: fixed incorrect water reflections of trees growing on steep slopes;
    
14. Nieuport 11 and Nieuport 17: fixed a problem with the engine overcooling too fast;
    
15. La-5 ser.8 FM updated based on La-5FN and La-5F research;
    
16. La-5 ser.8 and LaGG-3: bomb release is set to two at a time (previously it was one at a time), bomb release safety lever corrected (it is set to "ПО" position with no bombs and "ПЗ" position when carrying bombs), bomb release button sound added;
    
17. Li-2: compass and autopilot direction indicator have been corrected to eliminate a small deviation in readings;
    
18. Li-2: fluorescent instrument illumination has been adjusted;
    
19. Li-2: pilot's death and capture after bailing out over enemy territory are counted correctly;
    
20. Li-2: RPK radio compass shows relative radio station bearing correctly;
    
21. Albatros D.2: the look of the bolts on the machine gun sights improved;
    
22. Spitfire Mk.IXe: Mid-1944 skin rondels reflect the light correctly;
    
23. Stalingrad Career Mode: armored gunboats now move in the artillery spotting missions;
    
24. Career Mode: fixed taxiing at Mozhaisk airfield in Moscow region and Winkton airfield in Normandy;
    
25. A memory leak bug that might have caused the mission editor to crash randomly when using high-
26. resolution monitors (2K-4K) has been found and fixed.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2659100/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2659090/

Dear Friends,

Good news today - one of the most experienced campaign designers James =Jaegermeister= Yarbrough has finished his new creation, a brand new campaign called Overlord, just in time for us to try and include it in the update coming out next week.

This means that if the testing goes well, the 5.107 update will have something nice for everyone: the La-5F Soviet fighter for Eastern Front scenarios and multiplayer, two additional Flying Circus Vol.III Early Access aircraft, Hanriot HD.1 and Niueport 17 GBR, for the Great War gentlemen, and if you prefer the late WWII Western Front, this excellent historical campaign will be right up your alley.



Here's what the author has to say about his latest effort.

The 354th Fighter Group, commonly referred to as the "Pioneer Mustang Group," was the first USAAF unit to be equipped with the new P-51B/C Mustang during WWII and to see combat in Europe. They flew long-range escort missions over the English Channel with the 8th Air Force's heavy bombers in the months leading up to D-Day. As final preparations were made for the invasion of Normandy, the 354th Fighter Group was reassigned to the IX Tactical Air Command and committed to direct support of the ground troops going ashore. The 354th flew escort for C-47s dropping paratroopers and towing gliders on D-Day.

Your role in this campaign begins as a replacement pilot arriving with the 354th Fighter Group on D-Day and assigned to the 356th “Red Ass” Squadron under the command of Major Richard Turner. In mid-June 1944 the Pioneer Mustangs flew strike missions across the English Channel from ALG Lashenden during the first V-1 rocket attacks on London and were directly in the path of the “Doodlebugs” as they headed towards their intended targets. They moved to ALG-2 at Criqueville in late June where they flew ground attack, search and rescue, fighter-bomber escort, and fighter sweep missions during all the major battles of Operation Overlord. After the Allied breakout at Saint-Lô, the 354th FG was reassigned to the new XIX Tactical Air Command and moved east with Patton’s 3rd US Army through Paris and eventually into Germany. Due to the hectic flight schedule and squadron reorganization, you will move up from wingman to element leader and finish the campaign as a flight leader.




This is a historically based campaign depicting real events, however, the number of planes and specific
squadrons involved in the missions have been altered slightly, and some event locations have been moved for improved gameplay.

We hope you'll enjoy the campaign, new aircraft, career mode additions, and all the other improvements in the upcoming update. It's just around the corner!

Dear friends,

The upcoming update 5.107 will introduce three new airplanes to the game - the La-5F Collector Plane we already discussed and two new planes for the Flying Circus Vol.III Early Access program: the Hanriot HD.1 and the Nieuport 17 GBR.

The Hanriot HD.1 was developed by Pierre Dupont in the summer of 1916 for the Hanriot company as a classical biplane made mostly of wood with two-spar wings (the rudder frame and the nose part were metal). The upper wing had a small V-angle while the lower one was straight. There were 3 fuel tanks in the fuselage: two behind the engine and one more behind the pilot's back.


At first, the HD.1 was meant to take over from the older Nieuport 11 and 17 planes, but the new Spad 7s were already in use on the front lines and got positive feedback from pilots for their in-line engines. Meanwhile, Nieuport squadrons still used Le Rhone engines. As a result, the French Air Force (Aviation Militaire) decided not to switch to HDs as it wasn't cost-effective, and the acquisition was canceled.




However, the Entente allies found this plane attractive - it was more firm, maneuverable, and slightly better than the Nieuport in general. The Italian Air Force (Aviazione Militaire) was the first to order this plane. Societa Nieuport-Macchi started manufacturing HDs in November 1916, and in the summer of 1917, the first Hanriots were delivered to the front lines. By the end of the war, the Italians had 831 Hanriots. The Belgian Air Force, Aeronautique Militaire Belge, ranked second in buying these new planes, and the French Hanriot manufacturer constructed 125 aircraft. Belgian squadrons began flying HD1s on August 22, 1917, and they used them effectively, especially the Belgian aces like Coppens, de Meulemeester, and Olieslagers.


When the Nieuport 17 arrived on the battlefield in March 1916, it swiftly replaced the Nieuport 11. By the end of 1916, every squadron in the French Aviation Militaire had Nieuport 17s. Its superiority over any British plane led to its adoption by the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. The Nieuport 17 GBR was customized for British service with an overwing Lewis MG replacing the Vickers in the nose and Imperial system instruments instead of metric.




Many top Allied pilots flew Nieuport fighters, like Albert Ball and Canadian ace W.A. Bishop. Captain William Avery Bishop, of 60 Squadron RFC, scored 28 of his 72 kills in a Nieuport 17, B1566 between April 20th and July 20th, 1917. He also conducted an air raid on a German airfield on June 2nd in this aircraft, earning him the Victoria Cross.

The beta-testing of the new aircraft and many Career mode changes is ongoing. New mission types 'Advancing troops support' and 'Defending troops support' are in development. All night missions in all theaters of war will receive updates with new features that were introduced in the previous update. These features include searchlight beacons, AAA friend or foe identification, and night fighters. The newly added squadron, 32nd GIAP, will offer the La-5F and La-5FN planes from July 5th to October 7th, 1943.

The new update is planned to be ready for release the week after the next one. "Two weeks, be sure";)

Dear friends,

While the previous update, 5.106, was released just a few weeks ago, we are of course busy preparing for 5.107. It will bring further improvements to the career mode - new mission types will be available in more theaters of war, the amount of Luftwaffe presence in the Normandy and Rhineland missions will be reduced to better reflect the realities of the late war, and there will be other improvements. New aircraft will also be added to the sim - this time the Hanriot HD.1 and Nieuport 17 GBR (British) will be added to Flying Circus Vol.III Early Access, while the La-5F Series 38 will be released as a Collector Plane.

Their beta testing starts today, so the release should happen this month if there are no serious problems. We'll tell you about the new Circus planes in the next DD, and today we'd like to introduce a WWII plane for a change - the La-5F ser.38.

What makes it different from one of the first collector planes we ever released - the La-5 ser.8 and then the La-5FN?

The biggest visual change is the better-looking model, especially the cockpit - the first La-5 was released in our sim simultaneously with the Battle of Stalingrad module 10 years ago!




In terms of tactical characteristics, the La-5F was an evolutionary improvement of the La-5 on the way to the La-5FN. There weren't enough FN engines to power all the fighters produced until 1944, so the mass production of the La-5F was inevitable through 1943 with continued improvements here and there.

Gradually, the initial shock of the industry's evacuation to the East was overcome - while in 1942 many of the factories still had shortcomings, workers had to work in hastily built hangars that for a time didn't even have a roof, supply chains had to be rebuilt from scratch, and most resources were in short supply, the quality of production naturally took a back seat to quantity. As working conditions and resources improved, production standards gradually rose, resulting in, among other things, better aircraft: La-5s produced in summer-autumn 1943 became about 150 kg lighter.

The small design changes added up. For example, the elevator became slightly larger at the expense of the vertical stabilizer surface. 3 fuel tanks were installed instead of 5 as on the FN - carrying less fuel (465 instead of 539 liters) was considered a good trade-off for saving the weight of the tanks and the fuel, as many pilots preferred to take less fuel anyway. While there weren't enough FN engines to go around, the M-82F engine became the norm. All this meant that the 1943 La-5F was a more dynamic aircraft than an early La-5.

The biggest improvement from the pilot's point of view was the new bubble top canopy with emergency jettison (even our La-5FN series didn't yet have emergency jettison). This eliminated one of their biggest fears, not being able to bail out of a burning aircraft, which caused many to fly with open cockpits, which severely limited the speed of their aircraft. Now they could put that fear to rest and enjoy the improved field of vision - the main reason why bubble top variants became the norm in all air forces later in the war, despite the increased drag they had compared to older canopy designs.


To sum up, the La-5F in the sim (work on the FM is not finished at the time of this writing) should be a bit more agile than the older La-5, turn a bit better than even the FN, offer a better field of view, and be slower than the FN in level flight and climb because of the more powerful engine of the latter. With a cockpit designed for today's standards, it will be a nice addition for the second half of the 1943 timeframe.

Dear friends,

Update 5.106 has been released! It brings three new aircraft, many improvements to the career mode and several historical campaigns, and other changes. In addition, two of the campaigns that were previously only available on our website are now available on Steam.


The three new planes are the armed sibling of the C-47, the Lisunov Li-2 Collector Plane, and two new additions to https://il2sturmovik.com/store/flying-circus/ Early Access - the German Albatros D.II and the French Nieuport 17 fighter.

The Lisunov Li-2 was a Soviet version of the DC-3 built under license. Although it looked similar, it was quite different from the original because it was adapted for Soviet production - all measurements were converted to metric, it had different instruments, cargo doors, landing gear, even the engines. This Soviet C-47 sibling was like a gunship wannabe - in addition to being able to carry bombs, it had turrets AND a forward-firing machine gun. Normally, going the "jack of all trades" route means sacrificing something in each trade, but the USSR needed versatile aircraft. While the Western Allies had plenty of long-range fighters to cover their bombers and unarmed transports during the war and enjoyed air superiority most of the time, the Soviet VVS usually did not have that luxury.


The D.II was the first in the pantheon of legendary Albatros fighters. It became the symbol and icon of the fighter plane in the Great War. The rapid mass production of Albatros fighters allowed Germany to maintain air superiority until April 1917. "Bloody April" has become synonymous with the heavy losses of British aircraft in 1917. Its pilots noted the good power of its twin machine guns, good forward and upward visibility, responsive handling, high speed, and impressive rate of climb. The fighter took part in battles all along the Western Front.


The Nieuport 17 was intended to be a further development of the Nieuport 11 fighter. Compared to its predecessor, it had a larger wingspan and surface area, a more powerful engine, a Vickers machine gun, and metal aileron control wires. The plane was initially built in several French factories, but licenses were soon purchased by other countries: Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Finland and Japan.

Pilots noted its good climb rate and visibility, as well as its excellent maneuverability. The plane's powerful engine and high dive speed exposed the main drawback of the "one and a half wing" design - a weak lower wing due to only one spar. There are two known occasions when pilots made successful landings after losing their lower wings.


As you can see from the change list below, there are many improvements to Career Mode that we hope you like. More are on the way!

If you prefer to make your purchases on Steam, there are a lot of new things that are being released there today at the same time as the update. Two campaigns that were previously only available on our website have been updated and released there: Ten Days of Autumn and Hell Hawks Over the Bulge. In addition, several new bundles have been released - Steam Bundles allow you to purchase multiple aircraft and campaigns, along with the corresponding modules, at a discounted price. While they are mostly aimed at new players to make it clearer which aircraft or campaign belongs to which module (for example, they all include the Battle of Stalingrad for newcomers), they can also be beneficial for seasoned players - the content you already own on Steam is excluded from the total price, so it may be cheaper to buy a bundle even if you own all but one of its contents.

Battle of Moscow Deluxe
Battle of Stalingrad Deluxe
Battle of Kuban Deluxe
Battle of Normandy Deluxe
Late War Bundle
Soviet Aircraft
Western Aircraft

We hope you enjoy the new update and that it will enrich your gaming experience! See you in the skies!

Update 5.106 Changelist

1. Soviet Li-2 Collector Plane capable of carrying cargo, paratroopers, bombs, defensive and forward-firing armament, has been released;
   
2. Albatros D.2 airplane is available in Early Access for all owners of "Flying Circus Vol. III";
   
3. Nieuport 17 airplane is available in Early Access for all owners of "Flying Circus Vol. III";
   
4. Ten Days of Autumn campaign is updated and is now available on Steam as well (tactical numbers and correct camo, the aircraft quantity in the air is increased by one third, the number of convoys and artillery batteries is doubled, numerous edits to briefings, illustrations redesigned, all missions finalized and retested);
   
5. Hell Hawks Over the Bulge campaign is updated and is now available on Steam as well (script triggers, aircraft tactical numbers, generic and unique paint schemes for three participating squadrons, faster mission loading);
   
6. Sky Nomads campaign is updated (slightly reduced the difficulty of the 10th mission and changed the briefing of the 15th mission);
   
7. Normandy and Rheinland Career mode: new mission type - Intruder;
   
8. Moscow, Stalingrad, Kuban Career mode: added Artillery Spotting missions for USSR (IL-2 and U-2) and Germany (Bf 109 E, Ju-87);
   
9. Rheinland Career: added photo reconnaissance missions on Spitfire XIVe;
   
10. Career: updated free hunt missions, added patrol area marks the map and updated mission score logic;
    
11. Career: enemy night fighters can be encountered near the front line during night combat patrol missions;
    
12. Career: fighter cover has been added, enemy free hunters removed from transport missions in all career timeframes;
    
13. Career: trains appear in combat reconnaissance missions correctly;
    
14. Stalingrad Career mode: Ju 52 transport mission have fighter escort;
    
15. Rheinland Career mode: in the transport escort missions during the Market Garden and Varsity operations the transport aircraft have mixed loadouts;
    
16. Western Front WWI Career: BoSta 13 during the first phase (1917) and SchuSta 27b after 29.09.1917 careers progress correctly;
    
17. Western Front WWI careers: potential career progression issues to Phase 2 corrected for French Escadrille SPA 26, British squadrons No.1, No.2 AFC, No.11, No.18, No.19, No.20, No.23, No.43, No.46, No.48, No.56, and No.79, and German Jasta Boelcke, Jasta 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 14, 35b, and 40s.
    Kuban Career mode: fixed German ground attack aircraft not having bombs in escort missions;
    
18. Career mode: corrected taxiing at Tangmere airfield in Normandy and Bolshaya Rossoshka near Stalingrad (previously the lead aircraft could crash into another planes on the runway);
    
19. Normandy Career mode for USA and UK: in all escort missions the escort flight comes from the UK side;
    
20. ShVAK gun internal firing sounds updated;
    
21. Fuel gauge switch control has been implemented on Ju-88, Bf 110, Me 410, Fw 190D9, A-20, C-47, Li-2, Hurricane and Typhoon aircraft. The switch no longer activates "automatically" from time to time, there is a new command for this (RShift + I by default);
    
22. Spitfire Mk.V, Spitfire Mk.IX, and P-38 aircraft have the fuel gauge button control implemented (P-38 has a remaining fuel reserve control button). The button is no longer pressed "automatically" from time to time, you have to press and hold the button to operate the fuel gauge (RShift + I by default);
    Ground spotters correctly give targeting info to AI pilots;
    
23. Fixed a problem with AI pilots climbing as a flight while carrying a heavy bomb load;
    
24. Corrected airframe strength of Nieuport 11 and Halberstadt D.II (slightly increased) and Siemens-Schuckert D.IV (slightly decreased);
    
25. Nieuport 11: RPM indicator now gives correct readings;
    
26. Nieuport 11: corrected engine thermal model, overcooling tendency is decreased;
    
27. Nieuport 11, Halberstadt D.II: corrected visual flight stick position and fuel gauge bulb in the cockpit;
    
28. Hs 129: corrected typos and errors in cockpit textures (Oyster_KAI);
    
29. Halberstadt D.II and Mosquito F.B. Mk.VI series.2 are visible at long distances (more than 10 km) correctly;
    
30. Ju 88A-4: lower gunner uniform matches the time of year and timeframe.

Dear friends,

Today we would like to tell you more about the upcoming update 5.106, which is currently in beta testing. It will bring not only new aircraft you already know about - two new WWI aircraft for Flying Circus Vol. III (the Albatros D.II and the Nieuport 17) and the armed C-47 sibling, the Li-2 Collector Plane - but also new career mode missions and historical campaign updates.

There will be many improvements to the Career Mode missions in this release. Of course, the arrival of the Li-2 means that the VVS will get cargo delivery and airborne operations missions on the Eastern Front, including the new mission of dropping supplies over enemy-held territory at night. Since the Li-2 was also used as an ad hoc bomber, the pilots of the Li-2 will receive bombing missions as well. This actually depends on the regiment you are serving in - GVF (Civilian Air Fleet) pilots will get more transport missions, while DD (Long Range) regiments will be tasked with bombing missions more frequently. Opponents flying 'Auntie Ju' Ju-52s will get slightly more fighter escorts for Stalingrad missions. IL-2, U-2VS, Bf 109 E-7 and Ju-87 (II./St.G 1) pilots may be assigned to artillery spotting missions: those serving in 811 ShAP may even get something unusual - spotting small ship guns.

Your comrades on the western front will not be forgotten: New Intruder missions will be added for the Mosquito, Tempest, Typhoon, and Me 410 (various variants including lone and night attacks). Pilots of the 401st FS will see more escort missions available to them during the defense of Bastogne and Operation Varsity, as well as RAAF pilots of No. 453 Squadron during the days of Market Garden. Spitfire XIVe photo reconnaissance missions are also varied. You may be tasked with reconnaissance of an enemy-controlled port, an airfield, part of the front line, or a specific target.

There are also fixes such as correct target acquisition by ground spotters. Wingmen can now climb better with a bomb load. Allied escort aircraft in Normandy career missions will appear from the direction of England.

Historical campaigns that many of you love will also get attention - Hell Hawks and Ten Days of Autumn campaigns will be updated with tactical numbers for all aircraft, mission script corrections, and in the case of "Ten Days" will even have 30-100% more aircraft and vehicles thanks to the fact that an average Simmer PC has become more powerful. P-47D-28s will get the 386th, 387th and 388th FS liveries. These are in addition to the existing liveries. Several other campaigns will be updated as well.

Hopefully, sooner rather than later, the update will arrive this month. In the meantime, we hope you'll enjoy the new calendar. It shows this American-Russian gunship in action (FullHD version, 4K version).