I’ve been challenged in the comments and in my own head to come up with a possible aircraft list for next week’s Flying Circus Vol 2 announcement. There’s just a few days to go until we learn the full list from the developers but lets have a little fun and make some guesses. Here goes!
Thinking it through
I’ll break this down into categories with my best guesses being based on what we know so far about Flying Circus Vol 2 and what we already have from Vol 1. I’m also going to assume that the team will be doing what they did before and that was to rejuvenate aircraft built for Rise of Flight so no types will be mentioned here that were not already part of the Rise of Flight aircraft list. Let’s get started!
In the teaser logo from Vol 2, we can clearly see the outline of a Handley Page 0-400 bomber. First used in September of 1917, these bombers were used to attack railway stations, supply depots, factories and ports. In August of 1917, the Gotha G.V came into strength on the front and was used for similar purposes. It’s very likely that we’ll see these two aircraft in Vol 2.
Let’s assume that at least two more two seater aircraft are coming and here I have a difficult choice on the Entente side of picking the Breguet 14.B2, R.E.8 or the D.H.4. It’s a tough choice between the three but I’m going to go with the R.E.8 which was plagued by problems but by 1917 had become a popular two seat scout and reconnaissance aircraft. So, for the reasons of historical relevance, I’m going with the R.E.8. On the German side it’s a bit easier with the DFW C.V being an obvious choice and which saw initial service in late 1916 but more widespread use in 1917.
Next, we can spot the outline of the Fokker D.VIII. This was another type introduced in August of 1917 and is an interesting type that seems to have been overshadowed by other types but should prove interesting. To match that I submit the Nieuport 28 which saw service mostly with the U.S. Air Service.
We can also spot what appears to be the silhouette of a SPAD VIII with the wider flanges of its exhaust ports versus the later SPAD XIII. This popular type was initially equipped with a 150hp Hispano-Suiza engine but was later upgraded in 1917 with a 180hp engine. These saw use to the end of the war. Let’s pair it with the Albatross D.III, another widely used type that also saw service to the end of the war and helped German aviation secure numerical superiority through 1917. The Mercedes D. IIIa engine upgrade helped keep it relevant.
Two more aircraft to go so let’s help fill out the ranks with aircraft starting with the Pfalz D.XII. This aircraft came on steam in 1918 and was firmly a late war type. It’s tough to find something else to match this with on the Allied side and I’m faced with so many choices. The Sopwith Triplane is a good option but so is the Hanriot HD.I. I’m ultimately forced to go with the Sopwith Triplane as its summer 1917 usage makes it the most relevant to the likely scenario.
My best guess
- Handley Page 0-400
- Gotha G.V
- R.E.8
- DFW C.V
- Nieuport 28
- Fokker D.VIII
- SPAD VIII
- Albatross D.III
- Pfalz D.XII
- Sopwith Triplane
What will we see come next week?
The fun part about speculation is making a guess with the available information and evidence and then seeing if you’re right or wrong or just how wrong you ended up being. Am I right on the mark here or did I miss out? I’ve seen similar lists all across the community but I’d love to know your guesses in the comments!
Stormbirds 
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