Yesterday’s developer diary was a big one for the IL-2 Great Battles series with talk about the Normandy map and associated career, a look at plenty of new assets for both WWI and WWII, the Me410, V-1 and on it goes. Let’s have a look at what the team have been up to!

Normandy map and assets

No screenshots just yet because the map is not yet in a place where it looks visually accurate. The detailed texturing work is evidently the last part of the process and so we’ll need to wait a little longer to see how it all comes together. But the good news is that the layout of the map is apparently now at the point where work on Career mode for Normandy can get started.

Map objects are also apparently finished including “blocks” for British houses as well as various hangars, bunkers and emplacements. Stonehenge is also on the map and gets an appropriate treatment as a significant point of interest. Very cool!

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We’ve also got new images of vehicle assets. This time its the Humber Mark IV of which about 2,000 were produced. Armed with a 37mm M6, this armored car had light tank firepower in a mobile chassis. There’s also a couple of images of the Fighter Direction Tender or FDT of which I’d never heard of but of which there were 3 used during the Normandy invasion. These ships acted as command and control of aircraft operating over the invasion beaches. One, FDT 216 was torpedoed and sunk on July 7, 1944.

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Fuel systems, P-51B/C, Ju88C-6, Me410 and V-1 news

The next series of updates is focused on what’s happening with the aircraft. First, the good news is that the P-51B/C is nearly done. Progress has been slow with research and software issued listed as contributing factors. The flight model is reportedly nearly done and apparently only the Malcom hood is still on the production line. The Ju88C-6 is also reportedly nearly done.

Meanwhile, development of the new fuel system is underway and is being fitted to the Bf109 series first before it will proliferate to other types after.

The Mosquito, Me410, and Ar234 are also apparently proceeding according to plan. We’ve seen updates from all of these aircraft over the last several months and it is of course reassuring to hear that they are progressing well.

Speaking of the Me410, we get new some new screenshots this time around and confirmation of a modification for the type. First, the cockpit looks to be in a similar shape to the Ar234 that we saw last week. Fully modeled and awaiting texture details.

Now, that big gun mounted underneath is the Rheinmetall Bordkanone 5 or BK-5. It fired a 50×419 mmR round at 902 m/s. The gun was primarily fitted to Me410’s and intended as an anti-bomber weapon with the interceptors wracking up a reported 129 B-17 and four B-24 heavy bombers. It had a telescopic sight mounted underneath the Me410’s standard Revi C12C gunsight (which you can see in the developer diary images).

Think of this as a long range sniper weapon intended to be used against big bombers. We don’t have the B-17 but I’m sure it will be equally devastating against B-25 and B-26 medium bombers and I’m sure that many of us will attempt to use this as an anti-tank weapon too.

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Finally, we have news that the V-1 is doing well in development too. 1CGS reports that ‘launch, guidance and warhead functioning of the V-1 vengeance weapon’ are underway and that the 3D model and flight model are already done. I expect we’ll eventually see the V-1 launch site in a future diary as well which has me excited as we’ll be able to execute V-1 interceptions as well as Crossbow raids against well defended V-1 sites.

DFW C.V and other WWI assets

The two seater DFW C.V is the next aircraft in the Flying Circus Vol 2 aircraft list to be slated for release. 1CGS reports that the type’s model is complete and flight model is in progress. It is planned to be in the next update!

Also in progress are the Sopwith Triplane which 1CGS intends to release before the end of the year. They also plan to release the Handley Page 0-400 by the end of the year as well which is very exciting too. The Gotha G.V, new Western Front map, as well as the new Flying Circus Collector Planes in the form of the Sopwith Snipe and Siemens-Schuckert D.IV are all scheduled for 2022.

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We also have new screenshots of vehicle assets. The Jeffery Quad, Benz LKW 1912, Daimler DR4 (with modifications) and three new tanks are coming. We have the the Mark V female, Reno FT and Schneider CA 1. On the Mark V I needed to look up what they meant by female and learned that they used a designation system on if the Mark V’s sponsons were armed with 6-pounder (57 mm) guns (called a male), armed with recessed machine guns (called a female) or both (keeping with the theme… called Hermaphrodites). Learn something new each day.

Check out the latest images that show off the different assets. I especially like the new spotlight!

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Thoughts on the recent updates

Updates like this one and the ones that we have seen over the recent weeks and months from 1CGS are another reminder of just how many pieces of content are currently underway at 1CGS right now. While development can sometimes feel slow, and indeed I’ve seen and heard people comment that they are feeling like Normandy development is slow, its usually the case that there are many things progressing at once and we see the fruits of that labour come together after many months of work.

We’ve seen this previously with Battle of Kuban and Battle of Bodenplatte. Kuban even had a lengthy period where we saw no patches or updates as the team worked to significantly overhaul the engine and add the remaining aircraft to the mix.

Although we’re getting frequent updates this time around, there are going to be some big drops of content over the next several months. From new clouds and fuel systems, a half dozen new aircraft between Normandy and Flying Circus, to new maps and single player content. A lot is coming folks and its adding to what is already now available. Buckle up folks… it’s going to be an exciting several months ahead I think!

All of these updates and more on the IL-2 forums!