With just over two months left in 2018 I thought it might be good to summarize what we are looking forward to in the IL-2 series before the end of the year including new content for Bodenplatte and Flying Circus and what is coming after that. Let’s look at the official information and read between the lines to figure out what’s coming soon!
New content is coming
July 2018 was the last time that we were introduced to new aircraft for IL-2: Great Battles. Patch 3.005 introduced the FW190A-8, Fokker Dr. I and SPAD 13 to the series and helped kick off the start of Flying Circus content development (as well as Tank Crew).
1CGS has been busy building new aircraft since that last major patch. In the process, they have even added on to a recently released type. I am talking of patch 3.006, of course, which added further modifications to the FW190A-8 enabling not only modifications necessary for the F-8 but also the G-8 making this one Bodenplatte aircraft into three.
But what is coming next? Well we’ve got a fair bit of content so let’s break it down.
P-47D-28 ‘Thunderbolt’
American aircraft fans are surely pining for the day that the P-47 returns to the IL-2 series and the good news is that the wait is nearly over. The P-47 is widely expected to arrive in the next patch and that patch is likely just around the corner.
A statement back a few weeks ago mentioned that the P-47 is due in the next patch:
New Bodenplatte aircraft, Bf 109 K-4 and P-47D-28, will be released to Early Access later this Autumn.
Soon we’ll be tearing through the skies with this beast of a fighter which is certainly an exciting prospect – especially for fans of American fighters.
Bf109K-4 ‘Kurfurst’
The IL-2 series inevitably models quite a few different versions of the prolific German fighter that fought from the start to the end of the war. But that doesn’t mean that this K-4 isn’t a little bit special because it is the last of the line of serial production Bf109s. This is the ultimate Bf109 and it comes with its own unique combination of performance, firepower, and refinements.
As mentioned above, the Bf109K-4 is expected to launch alongside the P-47D-28 this autumn and it could come any day now.
Po-2/U-2 ‘The Night Witch’
The Po-2VS or U-2 (as it was called during the war) is a go anywhere do anything kind of utility aircraft that was used for things like artillery spotting, battlefield recon, night bombing and troop harassment, and it was famously flown by the “Night Witches.” More officially, these were the women of 588th Night Bomber Regiment also known as the 46th “Taman” Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment who flew many night time missions attacking enemy positions.
The Po-2 is coming along and the latest news is good according to a dev diary update:
This cool little bi-plane is finally nearing the final stage. Matter of fact, we had a real pilot who has experience flying an actual U-2 test our FM. He really liked it and gave us some small pointers that we will incorporate into the FM.
If all goes well, the U-2 will release alongside the P-47D-28 and Bf109K-4 in the forthcoming update.
FW190D-9 ‘Dora’
One of the last of the Focke Wulf models to see frontline service. The FW190D-9 left a powerful impression on the pilots fighting them despite the late hour of the war and the desperate nature of Luftwaffe fighter ops at the time.
This fast and powerful aircraft is currently being finished by 1CGS and the exterior model looks done and ready to go. It may or may not make the autumn patch. Its also still possible that it will arrive before the end of the year.
Sopwith’s infamous Camel
This iconic scout was tricky to fly but made a reputation for itself and to both its pilots and its enemies as being an overall excellent fighter. The Camel should make its way into Flying Circus Vol 1 and the IL-2: Great Battles Series sometime before the end of the year.
The Pfalz D.IIIa
Making the transition from Rise of Flight to Flying Circus is the Pfalz D.IIIa scout that was used by the Luftwaffe from 1917 to 1918 in the later stages of World War I. The Pfalz was not quite as popular as the Albatross being harder to fly and thus being less popular with its pilots. Modifications made to the ‘a’ variant helped rectify some of the biggest issues.
Pfalz D.IIIa and Sopwith Camel, will follow before the end of the year, provided we don’t run into unexpected problems.
Plenty of new content to finish out the year
Assuming everything goes the way it sounds like it will be going, IL-2: Great Battles will see the release of six new aircraft spanning 1917 through 1945 featuring a mix of western and eastern front aircraft from two major wars of the 20th century. It’s a great time to be a fan of the series and we’ll have plenty of momentum going into 2019 – which will be the subject of an eventual post I’m sure.
What are you looking forward to? These aircraft or something else? Let me know down in the comments!
Stormbirds 
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