It's airship time

[JD007]

On 6/7/2025 at 1:58 AM, AndyJWest said:

 

The Zeppelin will be AI only.

shame, but better than no Zeppelin at all! 

[RNAS10_Mitchell]

I don't believe there will be Zeppelin's or FM reviews/revisions.  I've seen nothing to indicate they are working on any of it.  Inquires about these things are brushed off with indifference.  No words from the devs, nothing to indicate it was ever a serious consideration.  Not surprising really since neither will generate any revenue,  and let's face it, FC isn't a big concern of thiers at this point.

Edited June 10 by RNAS10_Mitchell

[Enceladus828]

I hope that more WW1 planes like the BE2c, Rumpler C.IV and Albatross or Aviatik C.1 will be added. Honestly if FC4 is the last major work on FC then those long requested planes would be welcomed much more than the Zeppelin. But of course a Zeppelin is better than no Zeppelin and hopefully that this will turn out great 🙂

[Trooper117]

If people want to push for anything it needs to be for those much needed two seaters... they are far more valuable to the game than a Zeppelin.

[ST_Catchov]

3 hours ago, RNAS10_Mitchell said:

I don't believe there will be Zeppelin's or FM reviews/revisions.  I've seen nothing to indicate they are working on any of it.  Inquires about these things are brushed off with indifference.  No words from the devs, nothing to indicate it was ever a serious consideration.  Not surprising really since neither will generate any revenue,  and let's face it, FC isn't a big concern of thiers at this point.

 

It doesn't look good. I guess when they have info to share, they'll share it. But nothing new at the moment. 🙃

 

2 hours ago, Trooper117 said:

If people want to push for anything it needs to be for those much needed two seaters...

 

Let's all climb aboard the dream weaver train ....

 

 

[BMA_Hellbender]

On 6/10/2025 at 9:53 PM, RNAS10_Mitchell said:

I don't believe there will be Zeppelin's or FM reviews/revisions.  I've seen nothing to indicate they are working on any of it.  Inquires about these things are brushed off with indifference.  No words from the devs, nothing to indicate it was ever a serious consideration.  Not surprising really since neither will generate any revenue,  and let's face it, FC isn't a big concern of thiers at this point.

 

Whether FC and the rest of IL-2 GB continues to receive proper support will heavily influence my decision to buy IL-2 Korea. For now I see no reason to be pessimistic, there's no firm deadline yet (well, less than 15 years after the Nieuport 28 FM review), so let them do this properly. The last thing we want is a repeat of RoF's rushed final patch.

[86Cheese]

They literally announced zeps last year, there is also another FC bundle coming with just planes if I'm not mistaken. This game has gotten 10 full years of support. Just because they're doing something new doesn't mean you can't play this one anymore. Plus, Korea looks super promising, let them do their thing. 

[ST_Catchov]

48 minutes ago, 86Cheese said:

They literally announced zeps last year

 

Wow! Has it been that long. Time for an update then. Or another 6 months of nothing.

[Flashy]

I get the impression that the Zeppelin was just something that they wanted to do, but I dont think they have actually started it yet. Hope I am wrong, but by now I would have at least expected to see some WIP shots of the un-textured 3d model, or some kind of WIP info.. The silence on the Zeppelin seems to suggest that it hasnt even reached a point where they can show anything yet.. 

[Trooper117]

I don't really care about a Zeppelin... I would rather have more two seaters that are needed and far more important.

[ACG_Bussard]

Is it already known which faction will receive zeppelins? Will only the German faction receive one or will there be only one generic zeppelin for all or several faction-specific zeppelins for each faction? I'm wondering, hence the question.

[Dr1falcon500]

15 hours ago, ST_Catchov said:

 

Wow! Has it been that long. Time for an update then. Or another 6 months of nothing.

 

16 hours ago, 86Cheese said:

They literally announced zeps last year, there is also another FC bundle coming with just planes if I'm not mistaken. This game has gotten 10 full years of support. Just because they're doing something new doesn't mean you can't play this one anymore. Plus, Korea looks super promising, let them do their thing. 

Really what other FC bundle with just planes? Yes very much mistaken.  

[86Cheese]

20 hours ago, ST_Catchov said:

 

Wow! Has it been that long. Time for an update then. Or another 6 months of nothing.

Yessir, in the dev log from the day this thread was started. Thats why the thread was started 🤪

[ST_Catchov]

9 hours ago, ACG_Bussard said:

Is it already known which faction will receive zeppelins? Will only the German faction receive one or will there be only one generic zeppelin for all or several faction-specific zeppelins for each faction? I'm wondering, hence the question.

 

It's a good question. I'd say generic myself but of course I leave it to Luke to provide the official response.

 

But let's talk about DM. I wanna blow them suckers outta the sky in a flaming spectacular inferno with flailing bodies falling out and explosions and stuff leaving a long trail of smoky carcinogenic oil and other substances as the mutilated carcass descends almost too slowly to earth finally crashing into an innocent hedgeless field leaving nothing but smoking skeletal remains. It paints a pretty picture.

 

I'm not getting that with the current gasbag DM in FC to be honest.

[JG4_Moltke1871]

15 hours ago, ST_Catchov said:

 

It's a good question. I'd say generic myself but of course I leave it to Luke to provide the official response.

 

But let's talk about DM. I wanna blow them suckers outta the sky in a flaming spectacular inferno with flailing bodies falling out and explosions and stuff leaving a long trail of smoky carcinogenic oil and other substances as the mutilated carcass descends almost too slowly to earth finally crashing into an innocent hedgeless field leaving nothing but smoking skeletal remains. It paints a pretty picture.

 

I'm not getting that with the current gasbag DM in FC to be honest.

Maybe it would also be a good idea if you could at least occupy the gunner stations of the zeppelin as players. So we can have funny adventures with shooting away the half brain of this scumbag who is attacking the Kaisers property while the other half still can realise he is currently fried crispy in his burning wooden biplane coffin…

 

Finally we have to wait patiently what we will get but like always I hope for the best❤️

 

 

 

 

[ST_Catchov]

6 hours ago, JG4_Moltke1871 said:

Maybe it would also be a good idea if you could at least occupy the gunner stations of the zeppelin as players.

 

Oh yes! I would love that so as a covert British agent masquerading as a lowly Feldwebel, and using my trusty handbook of German phrases, I could inveigle myself on board and shoot down hun crates and other assorted property of the Kaiser and then commandeer the airship, arrest the crew single-handed, completely to their surprise and fly her to Blighty as a hero and then charge peeps joyrides in it over Cumbria and The Lakes (with dining and BYO) after being Knighted by the King so everybody has to call me Sir Vernon.

 

But it's AI only so this scenario is unlikely. 

[JG4_Moltke1871]

I think trigger-happy flak soldiers on England's coast will prevent this scenario. Sir Vernon will burn as his handbook and no one will know he ever existed…

 

….just as there will never be manned reargunner stations on the Zeppelin in this game…. 😅😅

 

 

So, let's leave it at that, but let's hope that there are juicy long-distance missions in the career that target the Zeppelin hangars.… and maybe I can approach from these giant airfields with a Gotha with Paris as target just to give meaning to the Gotha's 800 liter fuel tank in this game 😜

8 hours ago, ST_Catchov said:

 

Oh yes! I would love that so as a covert British agent masquerading as a lowly Feldwebel, and using my trusty handbook of German phrases, I could inveigle myself on board and shoot down hun crates and other assorted property of the Kaiser and then commandeer the airship, arrest the crew single-handed, completely to their surprise and fly her to Blighty as a hero and then charge peeps joyrides in it over Cumbria and The Lakes (with dining and BYO) after being Knighted by the King so everybody has to call me Sir Vernon.

 

But it's AI only so this scenario is unlikely. 

 

[ST_Catchov]

14 hours ago, JG4_Moltke1871 said:

but let's hope that there are juicy long-distance missions in the career that target the Zeppelin hangars.… and maybe I can approach from these giant airfields with a Gotha with Paris as target just to give meaning to the Gotha's 800 liter fuel tank in this game 😜

 

Paris is merely a poor man's London with berets. And London is what you really want to bomb! Am I right? I think so. But the end result would be the same. Sir Vernon would shoot you down in his BE12 nightfighter.

 

But they're not doing London so this scenario is unlikely.

[JG4_Moltke1871]

@ST_Catchov

London is always a welcome target no matter with Gotha, Heinkel or Dornier but for that I have to play older games… maybe I try if CloD comes to VR..

But before that happens, I'll probably be sinking aircraft carriers in the Pacific, as things stand now 🤷🏼‍♂️

[LukeFF]

On 6/26/2025 at 4:52 AM, Flashy said:

I get the impression that the Zeppelin was just something that they wanted to do, but I dont think they have actually started it yet. Hope I am wrong, but by now I would have at least expected to see some WIP shots of the un-textured 3d model, or some kind of WIP info.. The silence on the Zeppelin seems to suggest that it hasnt even reached a point where they can show anything yet.. 

 

It's very much real and in testing. 🙂

[BladeMeister]

15 minutes ago, LukeFF said:

 

It's very much real and in testing. 🙂

I can't remember, is this AI only? I am guessing yes? 

 

 

S!Blade<><

Edited August 12 by BladeMeister

[Nickkyboy99]

39 minutes ago, LukeFF said:

 

It's very much real and in testing. 🙂

Hmm... I don't believe you. Why don't you send some screenshots as proof 😂

[LukeFF]

1 hour ago, BladeMeister said:

I can't remember, is this AI only? I am guessing yes? 

 

 

S!Blade<><

 

I believe so.

 

52 minutes ago, Nickkyboy99 said:

Hmm... I don't believe you. Why don't you send some screenshots as proof 😂

 

Nice try. 😛

[ST_Catchov]

3 hours ago, LukeFF said:

 

It's very much real and in testing. 🙂

 

You mean ... it's actually gonna happen! 🙂

[LukeFF]

It always was. 🙂

[Aapje]

13 hours ago, LukeFF said:

 

It's very much real and in testing. 🙂

The testing:

 

[Flashy]

17 hours ago, LukeFF said:

 

It's very much real and in testing. 🙂

Ah awesome, I love being wrong in this case!  Thanks for the update! Looking forward to the day you can show us some WIP screenies! 

[Trooper117]

I'll reserve judgement with this until I can see it's damage modelling when it's going down in flames...

[ST_Catchov]

8 hours ago, Trooper117 said:

I'll reserve judgement with this until I can see it's damage modelling when it's going down in flames...

 

It'll probably be something like this but in colour.

 

[Trooper117]

It may end up looking like that, but how it initially catches fire and works it way through the fuel cells, then starts to collapse as it goes down should look awesome...

Edited August 14 by Trooper117

[jollyjack]

Other fun could be to land a Sopwith on top of it, maybe for just a cup of afternoon tea.

[MajorMagee]

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/le-zeppelin-abattu-dans-la-banlieue-de-londres-six-phases-news-photo/1474583765

[Davesax1965]

All those pics of the Hindenburg on fire above..... and they didn't start making it until 1931. 😉

I'd very much hope that the Zep, when it makes it into the game....eventually, comes with a spy basket. Good fun trying to shoot one of those up. 😉

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spy_basket

[JG4_Moltke1871]

 

5 hours ago, Davesax1965 said:

All those pics of the Hindenburg on fire above..... and they didn't start making it until 1931. 😉

I'd very much hope that the Zep, when it makes it into the game....eventually, comes with a spy basket. Good fun trying to shoot one of those up. 😉

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spy_basket

Here you have:

Feel free visit the Aeronauticum, the German „Luftschiff und Marineflieger Museum“ (Airship and Naval Aviation Museum) in Nordholz, northern Germany 

It’s not far from my home. Tiny but nice. 
 

If I remember right they also have one in London‘s imperial war museum? 

 

 

 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeronauticum

 

https://aeronauticum.de

Edited August 25 by JG4_Moltke1871

[LukeFF]

https://il2sturmovik.com/news/890/dev-blog-372/ 🙂

[RNAS10_Mitchell]

That's awesome!  Thanks devs!  Any updates/info on the FM reviews/revise effort that was announced several months ago?

[YoYo]

Finally! Great news, really! Thank you!

[YoYo]

As I understand it, the airship add-on will be free as part of the FC patch. Since it's AI, it won't be a flyable add-on (which is a pity, by the way; I'd gladly buy a flyable airship). It's great that missions featuring them are being added, as well as options to meet them in the campaigns. ❤️

Edited September 6 by YoYo

[BlitzPig_EL]