IL-2 series offers pre-orders for Snipe, SS D.IV, and mystery variant revealed

2–3 minutes

The announcement is out and 1CGS is now offering pre-order sales for the, Sopwith Snipe 7.F1, Siemens-Schuckert D.IV, as well as revealing the mystery variant. It’s a unique variant of the Spitfire XIV. Let’s have a look.

Mystery plane revealed

Bubble canopy version of the Spitfire XIV.

A few days ago I posted about a note that Jason left on the forum about a plane that the team were working on that would be offered up for pre-order sale. This aircraft would be a variant of an existing type. Not everyone read the variant part as the speculation ranged far and wide across a massive selection of aircraft.

What we are getting is a bubble canopy version of the Spitfire XIV. When the XIV arrived, many asked for a bubble canopy. Some even said they’d pay for it. Now there is that opportunity.

The differences between this and other versions of the Spitfire XIV on offer are minimal except for the bubble canopy which requires both a significant change to the rear of the cockpit as well as offering the benefit of much improved visibility. Like many Collector Planes in the series, this bubble canopy version offers something a little bit unique. But its not a requirement to get into action with Battle of Bodenplatte (or Normandy) and mixed formations of these would be easy to pull off.

If my research is correct, this is also the first time that a bubble canopy Spitfire has been on offer in a combat sim since Dynamix’s 1992 Aces Over Europe.

Snipe and D.IV

We also have the two late World War I fighters up for sale. Not to be overshadowed, these two aircraft have long been on the wishlists of WWI sim enthusiasts and we’re finally on the way to getting them.

Being created by Ugra Media following the completion of the Flying Circus Vol 2 aircraft, both aircraft are currently in development.

Pre-orders begin today

All three command the same price and the same pre-order discount. $19.99 USD for each with a 20% reduction on price during the pre-order period. Check them out if you’re interested! You can also read the store announcement here.

20 responses to “IL-2 series offers pre-orders for Snipe, SS D.IV, and mystery variant revealed”

  1. Owi Avatar
    Owi

    I cant understand why they woud choose a spitfire that only saw service for some short time at the end of the war. A later spitfire mk5 with clipped wings and upgraded merlin45 engin woud serve the new map very wel. I think they do know we are many that wants this or the earlier mk9 spit so I bet they have a plan for those planes later. 😁

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    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      I suspect this is more of a project/business decision. Both for sales but also its a 3D model that they more recently worked on.

      I do hope we see those variants too! And we might!

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  2. Blue 5 Avatar
    Blue 5

    Bit boring. It’s gorgeous and basically the apogee of wartime Spits but interest level will likely be low. I’ll nab it but….pft.

    A 1943 Tiffe would have been a lovely surprise.

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    1. 1_Robert_ Avatar
      1_Robert_

      So I was a bit off by hoping the mystery variant was a wildcat, zero, pacific map, and a Yorktown carrier?

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      1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        Maybe a bit 🙂

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  3. reynard11 Avatar
    reynard11

    re: Aces Over Europe. Hmmm… checks current 1946 install. Two MkXIV & four MkXVI bubble canopy versions on offer. How soon we forget? 😉

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    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      All of those were modifications and they came a while after my time so I suppose I did not consider them. So I amend it to the last commercial product to release with a fully realized, non-mod, XIV bubble canopy is likely Aces over Europe.

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  4. Novice-Flyer Avatar
    Novice-Flyer

    Not to stir the pot here, $16 US for just a Spitfire Mk. XIV variant which the difference is minimal save for the canopy is quite steep. It’s like charging $16 US for the Bf-110G-2 with the 37 mm cannon.

    I’m not arguing that this should be free, but the price is quite steep and should be like $5 US

    Some people may be willing to pay this price for the Spitfire XIV variant (which is what matters) but I won’t be buying it unless it’s on a sale.

    No offence

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    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      None taken! For some its an opportunity to get a special version of the XIV and for others its not compelling enough for the purchase. Everyone will have to make that decision for themselves.

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  5. HBPencil Avatar
    HBPencil

    From the way Jason worded the announcement it sounds like the bubble-top will be getting the rear fuselage fuel tank, I suspect that’s going to bite plenty of pilots as they spin out of the sky if they run a full fuel load! Also going to make for some FM work for the devs.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      Yes, it sounds like we’ll have a little extra range and potentially some unwanted handling attributes. I’m intrigued 🙂

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    2. Blue 5 Avatar
      Blue 5

      The RAeS in UK had a lecture on the missed opportunity for a long-range Spit. Basically it could have had the rear fuselage tank, some wing tanks and wing as well as fuselage drop tanks but this was never pursued. IIRC that would have got it to mid-Germany from UK bases. Not Mustang range but up there with Thunderbolts.

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  6. Chris Avatar
    Chris

    Still no clickable cockpits?

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    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      From what we’ve been told, those are not on the horizon. Early on in the initial product plan they did not plan for clickable cockpits (you may or may not remember that the original IL-2 BoS release was attempting to skew closer to War Thunder and steal some marketshare).

      Apparently trying to put them in right now would be a major engineering project and then a series of revamps across all aircraft cockpits. Probably not a financially viable move from what we’ve heard.

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      1. Novice-Flyer Avatar
        Novice-Flyer

        What I greatly want to see is the ability to hover the mouse over an instrument to know what it reads if it’s in a language you don’t know or if it’s very tiny. You can do this in sims without clickable cockpits as it’s possible in Wings Over Flanders Fields: Between Heaven & Hell II.
        Occasionally I’m flying a plane in IL-2 GBs and I look at a gauge and greatly struggle to know that it says. Having the ability to hover the mouse over the instrument and instantly know what it says makes life a thousand times easier and makes me want to play IL-2 GBs more.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        That would be a really nice upgrade! Agreed.

        Like

  7. majorqc684 Avatar
    majorqc684

    Man that bubble could have been ah mod in spit14 like they do normaly i call this a money grab

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    1. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
      ShamrockOneFive

      It actually can’t be done that way because its a major change to the geometry of the aircraft and the flight model. There’s a limit to the mod system. Same reason the Yak-9 and 9T were broken into different airplanes.

      Its existence might be a money grab, its a possibility, but technically it has to be done separately.

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      1. Novice-Flyer Avatar
        Novice-Flyer

        True, but they could just charge $25 for the Yak-9 and Yak-9T and $25 for the Spitfire Mk.XIV variants instead of $20 for each plane.
        The Hurricane Mk.II included 5 variants (A-D and Soviet Mod) and it was $20 for the Hurricane Mk.II plus all the variants and not $20 for each variant.

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      2. ShamrockOneFive Avatar
        ShamrockOneFive

        Hurricane is just armament rather than a big geometry change. And their standard price is $20 so that just seems to be the pattern.

        Right now most of those aircraft are on for 50% off and many are 75% off. That’s definitely when you get the best bang for the buck.

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