The IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover series is growing again with a new addition coming from Team Fusion Simulations. IL-2 Sturmovik: Fortresses and Focke-Wulfs – Dieppe is the latest in the series bringing the version number up to 6.0 and introducing new aircraft, a new time period an updated map, and yes… VR is promised too. Let’s have a look!
Updated: September 22, 2023 at 12:52 pm with additional screenshots.
The setting and new features
Announced today, Fortresses and Focke-Wulfs is the next edition of the Cliffs of Dover series. Team Fusion Simulation’s efforts to keep the series alive and thriving is on its way to new territory that looks to clearly build on the efforts of the previous instalments while introducing new technologies.
The time period for this addition is interesting as it looks to cover the channel war of autumn 1941 up to the Dieppe raid in August 1942. This is a time period that many combat flight sims have given little attention to and thus fills in an interesting niche both from a historical point of view as well as from an aircraft and gameplay experience.
A 1942 edition of the series’ channel map promises added landmarks, 4K textures, coastal gun batteries and fortifications. Scharnhorst Class Battlecruisers, Admiral Hipper Class Heavy Cruisers, Renown Class Battlecruisers as well as various destroyers and landing craft alongside new vehicles such as the Churchill tank will help simulate action on the water and on the ground.
Other technology improvements including extended rendering distances, 4K textures for aircraft and cockpits, full 3D implementations of cockpits that are now optimized for VR, updated vegetation and cloud technologies all help to highlight how far this latest version has come.
Looking at the aircraft
The aircraft list has been revealed as well and it is a fascinating one with a mix of new variants as well as new introductions for the series. I’ll let you look at the list and then we’ll discuss below.
- Focke-Wulf 190A-1
- Focke-Wulf 190A-2
- Focke-Wulf 190A-3
- Messerschmitt Bf-109G-2
- Messerschmitt Bf-110F-1
- Messerschmitt Bf-110F-2
- Junkers Ju-88C-6
- Junkers Ju-88A-4
- Spitfire Mk VC
- Spitfire Mk VC ‘Clipped Wing’
- Spitfire Mk IXA
- P-51A-83
- P-51A-91
- B-17E
- Wellington III
- Beaufighter VIC
- Typhoon Mk IA
- Typhoon Mk IB
Additions such as the Focke Wulf with the A-1 through A-3 give us the earliest versions of the “Butcher Bird” while the Bf109 series expands to cover the G-2 model. Twin engine fans of German aircraft will appreciate the two Bf110F models and Ju88C-6 and Ju88A-4 attack and bomber aircraft.
The Allied side is set to pick up some exciting additions too. Three versions of the Spitfire are included with the Spitfire Vc and Vc clipped wing as well as the early Spitfire IX (referred to in some pilots notes as Spitfire IX-A after the Merlin 66 IX was introduced – although this was never a formal designation) brings in an early Merlin 60 series Spitfire.
Then you have the two P-51A models which are frequently missed in combat flight sims. These Allison powered Mustangs are likely to arrive with both the mixed .30 and .50cal configuration as well as the four 20mm Hispano variation (in the P-51A-91 or Mustang Mark Ia).
I’m excited to see the Typhoon appear on this list. The Mark Ia and Ib are both slated to appear and figure prominently in the trailer. These are the early versions without the bubble canopy and both the twelve .303 armed Ia as well as the Hispano equipped IIb are planned too.
Then we have the multi-engine types including the Wellington Mark III, the Beaufighter VIc and….the B-17! It’s clear already from the trailer that Team Fusion intend to make this a flyable airplane with early shots of the cockpit and stations firmly declaring their intentions here. I’m sure that will excite some folks!
New screenshots have come my way featuring the Typhoon primarily. Thanks to Team Fusion for sending them my way!
Release date
Team Fusion have been working on this upgrade for quite some time. Although the content revealed today is new, we’ve known about their efforts to bring VR, 4K textures, upgraded map details, and improved clouds and rendering for quite some time.
Still, they have a long road ahead of them and in their trailer they say that release will be in the last six months of 2024. At least a year away. With the reveal now out, however, I’m sure that will enable the team to more freely share their engineering and content updates and it helps assure us that there is a future for the Cliffs of Dover part of the series.
Stay tuned for more news!
Stormbirds 
Leave a comment