The latest IL-2 developer diary is packed full of screenshots and details on a whole range of subjects. From the Spitfire XIV, Me410, and Ar234 progress updates to updates on the V-1, damage model fixes for the Bf109, tactical codes for aircraft, and details of which aircraft are getting the 4K skin treatment next.
Spitfire XIV is in beta!
The 2,000 hp Griffon powered Spitfire XIV is coming to IL-2: Great Battles and it looks like it’s release is nearly upon us as we have news that the XIV is now in beta testing. Typically, whenever we’ve heard that an aircraft is in beta testing, it emerges just a few weeks later.
For now, we get to enjoy these latest screenshots which show off the sharp lines, one of the custom textures, and what appears to be a completed cockpit. Looking great!
Bf109 tail section damage model update
There were issues with the Bf109’s tail section in the last damage model update that affected all Bf109’s except the E-7. The issue stemmed from the issues of a loss of a vertical stabilizer simultaneously resulted in the less of the horizontal stabilizer too. The team took steps to prevent that from happening which meant that the 109 went from having too weak of a tail to too strong of a tail.
As An. Petrovich reported in the developer update, a 3D model update was necessary. Here’s what he had to say:
It was only possible to do it “right” by completely reworking the 3D models of these tails and adding a new break point on the vertical stabilizer (as in E-7). Which is what we did in the end.
An. Petrovich on the IL-2 developer Diary
The issue now appears resolved and will presumably be in the next patch.
Me410 and Ar234 models progress
Slated to be added to the sim nearer the end of the development cycle, it’s still very good news to see that efforts on the Me410 and Ar234 are moving along well and that their 3D models are in progress. The Ar234 represents a very early model while the Me410 model appears to be complete.
There are many months of work still required on both so don’t expect them soon. Still, Axis ground attack pilots will likely be very interested to know that these aircraft are on the way and will offer some more options. That Me410 looks superb and I can’t wait to try it out!
Tactical codes and 4K textures
One of the coolest revelations recently has been the news that the IL-2 team are finally now able to offer dynamic tactical codes for the sides of aircraft. The latest update shows the UI that players will be able to use to access this feature as well as the latest progress.
Martin “ICDP” Catney continues his efforts to bring high quality 4K exterior textures to series. The MC.202 and Ju88A-4 take their turn next as the aircraft that will receive the treatment. The updated textures and all of the possible schemes are presented here with a very cool poster style format.
Next up? The Spitfire Mark Vb which I hope will see a few more skins added to the mix including some generic options suitable for the channel wars of 1943 and 1944.
Other details
We also learned about a few other items this week including:
- V-1’s are going to be done as a full aircraft with a damage model and flight model that will give it enough depth to be realistically tippable if flown alongside in the correct manner. Nice!
- Also on the agenda is an Italian pilot model is being worked on that will go along with the MC.202 similar to how the Soviet female pilot was created.
- Jason reports that they are working on a more efficient way to distribute skins in future updates as the current method is making for a more challenging update process. Read that comment here.
- Jason is hopeful that the Air Marshal feature will emerge this summer. He reports it hasn’t gone as well as planned but clearly there is an end is in sight.
For the rest, check out the latest developer diary!
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