Unarmed missions in the il-2 series ?

[Athos1660]

In the next Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, there will be a carrer mode and new mission types, such as  aerial firefighting, air search and rescue, helicopter cargo hook transport, air ambulance, cropdusting, mountain rescue, aerobatics, commercial aviation, aerial crane construction, arctic cargo transport, VIP transport, air racing, weather reconnaissance…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvzlC4iCtns

 

This idea is not new, lots of us have already thought of it. However, it could certainly be applied to the il-2 series (il-2 cloD, BoS…) in an interesting way with missions such as reconnaissance, transporting supplies, artillery spotting duties, medical evacuation of wounded soldiers, leaflets dropping, etc. (not forgetting, of course, the current ones related to fighter pilot and bombing). This would be dangerous missions, being over enemy lines, with potential AA, enemy fighters, escort...

 

For example, in real life, on 24 August 1944, a lonely Piper Cub (no 329911), flown by Captain Jean Callet with Lt. Étienne Mantoux as observer, flew to Paris (France) at very low altitude to drop a weighted message to the Resistants desperately fighting to hold their ground as the Allied would quickly arrive to liberate Paris (« Tenez bon, nous arrivons »).

 

Likewise, in occupied France, assisting with the French Resistance, the Lysander carried clandestine missions using small, improvised airstrips to place/recover agents, etc.

 

This would require a few unarmed planes in game, such as the Piper J-3 Cub, the Junkers Ju52, the Caudron C440 Goeland, the Westland Lysander, the Potez 63.11…

 

Wouldn’t it add some variety in game ? What do you think of it ?

Edited July 22, 2024 by Athos1660

[Aapje]

The Ju 52 is already available as a collector plane.

 

But I think that you are very demanding. It might be nice as an option for the planes already existing in the game, but to ask for unarmed planes specifically for this purpose, would result in them seeing very little use.

[=MERCS=JenkemJunkie]

If a 3rd party did it, and didn't eat up the main devs time then sure why not, but I'd rather they focus on being a combat flight sim and leave that stuff to MSFS.

[Aapje]

Any third party would still need a good business case. You can't just expect all your wishes to be granted by some mythical 'third party.'

[jollyjack]

I would buy them, i have the Ju52 ....

[=MERCS=JenkemJunkie]

34 minutes ago, Aapje said:

Any third party would still need a good business case. You can't just expect all your wishes to be granted by some mythical 'third party.'

I dont think it's likely to happen, and less likely to be a financial success, but on the off chance someone wants to throw a hail mary in a way that doesn't eat up the main devs time, then whatever, its his choice. I'd argue there's better hail marys to throw, but whatever.

[LukeFF]

3 hours ago, Athos1660 said:

This idea is not new, lots of us have already thought of it. However, it could certainly be applied to the il-2 series (il-2 cloD, BoS…) in an interesting way with missions such as reconnaissance, transporting supplies, artillery spotting duties, medical evacuation of wounded soldiers, leaflets dropping, etc.

 

We have had recon, artillery spotting, and transport missions for quite a while now. 

[Avimimus]

On 7/22/2024 at 5:20 PM, LukeFF said:

 

We have had recon, artillery spotting, and transport missions for quite a while now. 

 

Also the Ju-52... @Athos1660 - If you look at the Collector Planes in the store, you'll find the Ju-52 for sale, along with the Lisunov Li-2 and C-47.

 

The U-2VS is also a general purpose plane, although I don't believe there are missions for contacting partisans, liaison, or light transport for it (but it has artillery spotting). The Ar-234 and Spit XIVe both have reconnaissance missions, and I believe the Il-2 and the Spit IX do artillery spotting.

 

Also, for the record the Potez 63.11 was quite well armed!

 

P.S. It'd be nice to have a Liaison/light resupply role for the U-2VS, and to also add in the Fi-156 or even Fw-189 (although both carried armament) for artillery spotting... but I suspect it would take a third party stepping in to produce the models.

[LukeFF]

6 hours ago, Avimimus said:

I believe the Il-2 and the Spit IX do artillery spotting.

 

It's the Spitfire Vb - two RAF squadrons during the Normandy invasion.

[migmadmarine]

Yea, I would love to see liaison missions for the Po-2, as well as appropriate aircraft for the other nations as well, stitch Piper L-5 and Auster would be great. I think there can be plenty of excitement flying as an unarmed or under strength aircraft having to evade fighters and ground fire to get the job done. And some missions that require successful off field landings and takeoffs would be great. 

[Avimimus]

It has always been my opinion that the motto of 'alone, unarmed, and unafraid' makes recon flights some of the most dramatic and, for lack of a better word, 'badass' roles of the war. Also, a single photograph can change the course of a battle in a way that a single stick of bombs is unlikely to.

[ShamrockOneFive]

We've already got this to a fair extent already. It's tall order to get any sort of non direct combat aircraft into a combat sim but IL-2 Great Battles has done a pretty good job over the years of providing us with some different types of roles and experiences.

 

The Ju52, Li-2, C-47 and U-2VS all fit into the utility category and they have missions and operations to fulfill in both single and multiplayer scenarios. This is the kind of flying that I'm gravitating to these days over fighter versus fighter (20-years of that and you want to do something different). It's good to have the mix!

[Juri_JS]

Artillery spotters like the L-4 or Auster are in my opinion the most missing aircraft type for Normandy and Rhineland at the moment. They saw lots of action and were favorite targets of German fighters. Hunting for spotter planes was actually one of the most important mission types for the Luftwaffe in the west during the last month of the war. Moreover who wouldn't like to hunt tanks in a bazooka equipped L-4.

[Duggy]

32 minutes ago, Juri_JS said:

Artillery spotters like the L-4 or Auster are in my opinion the most missing aircraft type for Normandy and Rhineland at the moment. They saw lots of action and were favorite targets of German fighters. Hunting for spotter planes was actually one of the most important mission types for the Luftwaffe in the west during the last month of the war. Moreover who wouldn't like to hunt tanks in a bazooka equipped L-4.

I agree Link - http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?id=285

[Talisman]

Combat zone helicopter missions would fit nicely and open up this flight simulation to new possibilities.

 

 

Happy landings,

 

Talisman

Edited July 28, 2024 by Talisman

[BlitzPig_EL]

When the Stinson was added as a mod in the original IL2, many were making the same arguments for it's exciting gameplay.  Maybe if you only fly in single player against brain dead AI, bugt I multiplayer the mission profile was always:  Take off, make slow progress towards objective area, become smoking hole in the ground.

Every freaking time.

No matter how low, or carefully you flew, it ended the same way.

[migmadmarine]

Maybe some things just ain't for the MP community. 

[BlitzPig_EL]

True, can't argue against that.

[migmadmarine]

I'd be down to give it ago in a co-op senario, or something where I know there are guy flying organized cap in the area, but yea, in most disorganized MP servers you'd be dead, sure.