Six new aircraft are coming to IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles from 1C Game Studios through 2026 and today’s developer diary update helps fill in some blanks on what we can expect from all of them. There are some new confirmed details so let’s dig into the nuggets of information that we have.

Bombers and other aircraft in progress

Let’s start with the A-20G-25. 1CGS have confirmed that the armament will be the six .50cal variant (there were a few armed with 20mm cannon but its not mentioned) with the Martin electric turret with two .50cal guns and the ventral .50cal replacing the .30cal in the earlier version.

Now there are some interesting modifications. First, a glass nose can be put back onto the aircraft creating the A-20J variant – a first for the series and a rarity in flight sims in general. The A-20J often flew lead on bombing raids with A-20Gs in formation dropping on command… we might see that come to the sim (it is mentioned) which would be really interesting to see. A Soviet A-20G modification will also be available with Soviet bombs (like the A-20B), an OPB-1 bombsight in place of the ventral gunner station, and… anti-ship torpedoes. Another first for the Great Battles series. Unexpected on my part!

On to the B-25C/D which, in base version, will be a USAAF variant with associated instruments, armament, and Norden bombsight. A Soviet version with Soviet bombs and NKPB sight will also be available. The B-25 will slot into careers on Kuban, Odessa, Leningrad, Normandy and Bodenplatte.

Then we have the B-26B-55 Marauder. Seven .50cal defensive guns on this variant. One in the nose mount, two in the dorsal turret, two in the rear, two on the lower waist positions. Then there are the four forward firing .50cals operated by the pilot. These can be removed for improved speed as a modification.

We also learn a bit about the FW189 and the equipment it will sport. Radio compass, bombsight, two forward firing MG 17 7.92mm guns and a gunner with a rotating cone shaped turret with MG 15 7.92mm. The description doesn’t mention bombs but my reading suggests a light loadout of four 50kg bombs. Not a lot but it is more of a recon and battlefield observer aircraft… the most unique of the offerings.

We don’t learn too much new about the P-47M or P-39Q though a Q-15 is confirmed featuring a higher altitude version of the Allison V-1710-85 engine and a Aeroproducts Hydromatic propeller. The P-47M will include the dorsal fillet (restoring some of the lost stability in the bubble variant) and will start off with six .50cal guns with the ability to add the extra two to bring it back to the eight gun standard.

Read the full report here!


5 responses to “New diary confirms more about IL-2 Great Battles aircraft add-ons for 2026”

  1. Do you think they will keep making more collector planes for Great Battles once they are done with these six aircraft (sorry if I have asked this question before – I have a bad memory in that department)?

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    1. We should get the Finnish planes produced partially by volunteers. Other than that, it probably depends on how much spare capacity they have and whether planes for GB still sell well and what their options are for Korea.

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      1. Thanks for getting back to me. It’s unclear at the moment because they have not explicitly stated that they are going to not make any more collector planes after these six, but Enigma from YouTube with his latest video (at the time of writing) that they may continue side by side development of Great Battles and Korea.

        I will say that they really need to make the Ju-87 B-2 for Odessa, Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad because in 1941 that would be the only Stuka available for the former three, and in Stalingrad it would complement the succeeding Ju-87 D-3.

        Another aircraft I think needs to be done is the IL-4 because this too can be used on all maps except the ones set around 1941 to early 1942. The IL-4 should be in the game because the IL-4 was an integral part of the Soviet Air Force bomber fleet and this game is heavily centred around recreating the Eastern Front.

        A third aircraft I think we need is the Do-217E because they also saw a lot of service on the Eastern Front and would complement the He-111 H-6 and the Ju-88 A-4 nicely. The Do-217 is a largely overlooked plane in my opinion that exceeded 2,000 units and I think that at least one variant needs representation in combat flight simulaton.

        A fourth aircraft I would like to see is the SB-2, which made up the backbone of the Soviet bomber fleet before the IL-4 took over. It could be used in Moscow, Odessa, Leningrad and Stalingrad career modes.

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  2. I am glad they are making the Fw-189 because it expands on an aspect to the game – recon.

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  3. It’s been more than a bit since I stopped flying regularly, but the B-26 is interesting enough that I may start carving out some time to get back into it.

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