A relatively straightforward question asked on the IL-2 forums has lead to a much more interesting answer from IL-2 series Executive Producer Jason Williams. As a result, we now know that a mystery aircraft is in development now and will be announced soon. Here’s what we know!
Of pre-orders and mystery planes
Let’s talk about the background of what we’ve just learned so that this all makes sense. A member of the IL-2 forum asked when the Sopwith Snipe and Siemens-Schuckert D.IV will go up for pre-order sales. These two Collector Planes for Flying Circus Vol 2 represent the first entirely new aircraft for the Flying Circus series (the rest have been remastered from their appearances in Rise of Flight) and Ugra Media are working at bringing them to life together with the 1CGS team. We saw an update with screenshots of the in-development models just a couple of weeks ago.
Jason replied letting us know that they would be up for pre-order sales soon, however, that’s not all he said.
Pre-orders for the Snipe and SS.DIV are coming very soon along with a new mystery plane. We have yet to announce. Li-2 will go up as soon as the C-47 is ready and they Ugra begins work on it.
Jason Williams
Now that is interesting! There’s more too.
I will announce soon. It’s not an entirely new plane, but different in significant enough of a way to allow us to sell it as a new bird to help round out our stable. When opportunity presents itself we try to take advantage.
Jason Williams
Not counting Battle of Normandy, we can now confirm that the IL-2 series has several separate aircraft in development. The IAR-80/81, Sopwith Snipe, Siemens-Schuckert D.IV, C-47A, the Li-2 (after the C-47) and the mystery airplane. Interesting news indeed!
What could it be?
That’s the news and so from here we switch over to purely speculative options and how they might pan out. As Jason has reported, this is not a new airplane but rather based on one that they already have. That eliminates a number of types from consideration including the much desired B-25 – for now anyways. I also think that 1CGS will stick to a plan of offering content that can slot into an existing battle or career.
The choices then narrow down somewhat and the first one that rises to the top of my list is a Mosquito bomber variant. A B.IV or B.IX, with a glass nose and the ability to carry some more significant bomb loads (some up to 4,000lbs with the “Cookie” bomb), would be interesting to have. It would give the Allies a capable bomber without the complexities of adding and modeling gun turrets and it would be an aircraft that the 1CGS artists and programmers already have in the pipeline. More than minor modification, however, the B.IV or B.IX would be a different airplane with changes to the cockpit, 3D model inside and out, a bombsight, and different armament.
Another that rises to the top of my list is the A-20G. This may be a more ambitious undertaking, however, the A-20 is a fan favourite of the series and we already have the very impressive B model. The G would involve cockpit changes, a new gun turret, and 3D model changes including the solid nose and six .50cal machine guns in the nose (plus two more in the new powered turret at the back).
A simpler variant change would be the Spitfire F.IX. Popular and well used in the 1943 time period leading up to Normandy as well as in dwindling numbers during the Normandy invasion, this variant has been proposed many times before. Fans have remarked that a Spitfire IX with the C-type wing, rounded tail, and earlier Merlin variant (Merlin 61 or 63) with slightly lower performance potential versus the Merlin 66 powered version we have right now would appeal.
Fans of the Ju87 Stuka dive-bomber have often remarked that they would like to see the extended wing D-5 model. This variant was armed with a pair of MG151/20 cannons instead of the light machine guns in the wings giving the type more punch during ground attack operations. The D-5 also formed the basis of the tank-busting G-2 variant.
While some will rebel against the idea, Bf109 fans love their Bf109 variants and many have asked for a Bf109G-6 A/S (featuring a different and more streamlined nose more akin to the K-4 version) or Bf109G-10. Although these fit the criteria, I suspect that a G-10 might be held for some future version of the sim and I feel like the G-6 A/S is too niche to do well in sales. Although virtual pilots do love the 109 quite a bit, so I might be wrong!
There are other gaps in the aircraft set as well that 1CGS may decide to try and plug. The Yak-1 Series 69, from Battle of Stalingrad, could form the basis of a much earlier version of the Yak-1 with a less powerful engine and less refined airframe that saw use during the Battle of Moscow.
The same could be said for the LaGG-3 which could incorporate an early series aircraft. Uniquely, the LaGG-3 in its earliest iterations carried a battery of guns including a 20mm ShVAK, two UBS 12.7mm and two 7.62mm light machine guns. Or a LaGG-3 Series 66 could easily slot into Kuban (and Kursk) scenarios offering La-5 like performance on the last of the LaGG fighters. I’m not sure if these are likely but it is possible.
What do you think it is? Let me know in the comments!
Update
IL-2 forum user EAF19_Marsh made a guess at some of the possible aircraft that we might see that fit the criteria. Here’s the list:
Spit IX (quite likely)
Spit VIII (I wish!)
Typhoon early model (unlikely)
P-51A (unlikely)
P-39 variant (possible)
Me.109G10 (likely)
Fw.190A9 (possible)
Something Russian (quite possible)
EAF19_Marsh
And then we have a reply from Jason indicating no to the items on the list.
Nope to all that.
Jason Williams
So, that narrows the options down a bit from some of my earlier guesses and no doubt some of yours too. There’s still plenty of aircraft out there that it might be so we can still make some guesses.
Stormbirds 
Your suggestions are all solid contenders imo. Off the top of my head the only one I’d add to it is the Spitfire Vc which was still in front line service during D-Day in LF form.
I wondered if we might get another P-40 (K, M or N) but I don’t know if they saw service on the eastern front maps we have in-game.
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Both of those are possibilities. The Russians received all of those up to and including the N. So it’s a possibility.
The Spitfire Vc would be interesting although some may have trouble understanding why the Vc would be sold separately from the Vb. It is quite a different airplane although it took me years of research to appreciate the differences.
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Fingers crossed for the A-20G here. Most numerous variant of all the A-20s, with over 2800 built. Solid upgrade choice for a fan favorite, and the 3 9th AF A-20 BGs that became operational in England in 1944 were in the thick of the fighting during Battle of Normandy’s time frame, supporting advancing Allied ground units through the end of 1944. It provides U.S. forces with a much more capable ground attacker than the A-20B.
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Agreed! The A-20G would be a wonderful add-on no matter if its this time around or in some other way.
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We know it’s either an American, British, German or WW1 aircraft variant
A-20G, P-38L
Mosquito B. (have been dying to fly that. It was AI in IL-2 1946 but no game I know of has a flyable version),
Ju-87B-2 or D-5, Bf-110F, He-111 H22 😀
Not up to date on my WW1 aircraft variants.
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Good suggestions… I would maybe add an earlier P-38 variant or a BMW-powered Ju88R/Ju88S as additional possibilities for WWII. For WWI, considering the wording they used, I think it may wind up being a Mercedes D.IIIau powered version of something we already have (Albatros D.Va, Fokker D.VII or Pfalz D.XII). These have been requested by the Rise of Flight community for ages. For my part, I think I want the Ju87D-5 most (those two cannons make is SO much better) and Jason has stated in the past that he would love to make it if they had extra resources (saw a post on the forums a while back).
Cheers,
Fafnir_6
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I won’t lie, I’ll eat up anything that expands the WW1 repertoire.
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I love these airplanes from both eras so it’s an easy thing for me. Major variant or even a small variation that offers an interesting feature.
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I would love the Mosquito bomber variant as my Grandfather flew in Squad 163 RAF and his involvment was the gateway drug to WW2 aircraft and sims. But in the Great Battles environment I can see the other aircraft mentioned being a better choice.
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Why not flyable B-25 or B-26?
Maybe Jason by “we” meant “we as 1CGS” and not “we as a Il-2 related folks”;-)
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Jason was specific that its a variant of an existing aircraft which we can very easily understand to be a flyable type. So no the B-25 and B-26 are right out of that.
I’d love to see them but they aren’t this particular mystery aircraft.
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In time there are much more allied collector planes than axis…. By this reason I hope for an axis plane to give the blue side a bit more choice especially on the online servers.
In my thoughts I wish a more modern Bomber like the Ju188…. But of course it’s no plane already in the game… It’s no fun fly with a 111 in a 1945 plane set online 😜….
Anyway no matter a red or blue plane, everything interesting will be welcome! I must confess to think about fly a high alt sortie with Mosquito and 4000lb is an tempting thought.. if they repair the low bomb damage… but this is another topic 😜
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Just checking to see if I’m paying attention? There was no such thing as a B.VI. I think you meant B.IV.
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Sure, that’s the reason! 😀
Yep, you’re right… B.IV. Not sure where my braincells are off to. I also wrote June instead of May in another post. Help!
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Besides the guesses everyone else has made, I wonder if it could be a Spitfire Mk I…I know the Il-2 Great Battles series won’t touch Battle of Britain with a full release.
However, a Spit I combined with the Hurri, BF-109E-7, BF-110E-2 and Ju-88A-6 as well as the BoN map, would provide a reasonably fleshed out Battle of Britain substitute (which would satisfy a lot of people) without directly competing with Il-2: CloD.
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Deductively it is likely something akin to the Yak-9 / -9T or G-6 / -6 Late level of variation. What else do we have like that?
The list posted by Marsh was sensible. Shame it is none of those. I would posit that it is a single-seater and one for which a lot of documents are easily accessible.
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An early Lagg-3 variant, 1st or 4th (could be 8th and 11th with different weapon setups) is really missing from the early plane setup and from the Moscow career. And it should be relatively easy to make from the ingame series 29. And if they have already started, why not make the series 66 … ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) – I don’t know why but I really like the looks of the Lagg-3
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Good theoretical candidate, with the caveat that its sales potential is a little low. I would probably buy it out of a sense of goodwill but not because it held much interest.
Oh, also a Russian aircraft was denied.
So:
– One of the US fighters
– A20 variant
– Spit V
– Hurricane
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Could be another Spitfire variant too. The Mark Vc is one. People have been asking for a lot of different versions and it’d probably be a popular seller.
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Its the A36 Apache
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Orly?
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It’s a good guess. Although it doesn’t fit into any current scenarios so I suspect its out.
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