There are two “Easter eggs” that we have in the latest IL-2 patches that might hint at future content for the IL-2 series. I’m reading between the lines on this so everything you’re about to read is pure speculation – nothing is officially confirmed in any way. Still… this is fun!
Is that a Typhoon?
IL-2 contains a number of “static aircraft” which are slightly lower detail models parked around airbases in single and multiplayer scenarios. Until very recently, the static aircraft list had not been updated with any new aircraft since Battle of Stalingrad. Now we have a few dozen new static aircraft that can be placed around airbases and that list contains one surprise – a Typhoon!
The Hawker Typhoon was a successor to the Hurricane and predecessor to the Tempest. While it had it’s teething problems, the Typhoon evolved into a very successful fighter-bomber seeing service right up to the end of the war in large numbers.
It’s inclusion as a static aircraft is interesting. Eindhoven, where several Typhoon squadrons were based, was a major target and saw significant losses during the Bodenplatte operation so it’s inclusion could be nothing more than an attempt at making sure that there were suitable targets on that base.
On the other hand, the model is as detailed as any other static aircraft which means some care went into making this. All static aircraft are drawn from lower detailed models and have no flight model, no damage model, no cockpit, and canopy reflections. A fair bit of trouble was put into making this static aircraft.
It could be a candidate for a future Collector Plane oriented towards Battle of Bodenplatte or it may portent a future expansion that features a Typhoon Mark IB. Or… it could just be a static aircraft.
The B-25D has a purchase icon in Career mode
It has long been my hope that 1CGS would be able to find time to eventually build the B-25 Mitchell for IL-2 especially as the external model, flight model and damage model was finished as part of the IL-2: Battle of Bodenplatte development cycle. What the developers couldn’t fit into that schedule was the interior of that aircraft. New evidence, however, suggests that this may be making steps forward towards being a Collector Plane.
In Career mode, pick an RAF career, pick ‘Crossing the Rhine’, and start looking through the bases you’ll soon find several bomber squadrons based at Melsbroek. One of those squadrons is an RAF A-20B Boston squadron and five are B-25 Mitchell squadrons. The B-25D shows an icon indicating that it is not available to be flown.
Furthermore, when you click on the squadron, and scroll through the B-25’s available information you can find a Buy button at the bottom of that screen with a link that takes you out to the following URL: https://il2sturmovik.com/store/collector-planes/#b-25draf
Nothing is currently available on the IL-2 website but this is an interesting development nonetheless. Is this a mistake that just makes it look like they are planning to turn this into a Collector Plane? Or did this sneak it’s way into the release before they were ready to talk about it. Bombers are, after all, quite complex and that means that the development time on this could be many months away at the earliest.
Remember… rumours!
I find both of these really interesting and potentially very exciting developments for the IL-2 series but I want to temper everyone’s expectations. These could also be oversights or they could be part of content plans that are further down the road than 1CGS is intending to talk about.
Either way, it’s fun to think about these before diving back headlong into a ton of content that has just dropped in 4.001. Enjoy the present and hopefully look forward to more new and interesting content in the future.
Stormbirds 
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