It’s just a couple of weeks into the reveal of IL-2 Sturmovik: Fortresses and Focke-Wulfs and we’re already learning about another new airplane coming to the series and one that they suggest will be arriving sometime after as well. This one is the Fairey Swordfish.

Flyable eventually

Obviously in an early state, Team Fusion Simulations are showing off the Fairey Swordfish to us all to show us what kind of aircraft they are planning for the future. They say future because they say that this aircraft is unlikely to release in TFS 6.0 as an AI plane and even less likely to be a player flyable type but it is planned for a future update. The story behind that gives us a glimpse into the nature of Team Fusion Simulation’s development process and status as more of an indie-style developer:

We had thought the aircraft would be included for the release, but as is sometimes the case with the nature of TF’s membership, the modeler found he had other real life commitments and had to reduce the time he could allot to the project.

Although that may be disappointing in the short term, the longer term message is that they intend to crease a larger compliment of British Fleet Air Arm aircraft.

We are planning to create a complement of British Fleet Air Arm aircraft… some of the planned aircraft are already in the game in variant form, but need to be made Carrier capable with deck arrester hooks added and in some cases be given folding wings. Some need to have armament changed and/or different engines and propellors.

Now that is exciting stuff and carrier ops on any front definitely has my attention!

Later in their update they specifically mention that the Hurricane, Martlet and Gladiator are already in the game and can be made into Sea variants.

More on that front, Team Fusion Simulations have announced that they will be doing an all sea North Atlantic map for use in a Bismarck scenario and that they have more complex maps in advanced planning for naval/air and naval/naval conflict. Interesting indeed.

Read their latest update here!