Dev Blog #374: Flying Circus Development Update

[Bgyuk]

On 10/24/2025 at 7:15 PM, Trooper117 said:

 

I'm more interested in that sentence above... As good as the Zep looks, it would be way down the list of my priorities, as there are so many other much needed aeroplanes that are 'really' required to flesh out the plane set.

No, I'm not trying to rain on any ones parade as I know there are many fans of the Zeppelin and they are really looking forward to it... I just have different priorities.

Yep, totally agree. There are many small changes for example that could make the Career so much more immersive. These are easy wins and should be added before implementing massive updates.  

[Cardolan]

Excellent stuff... and for free!

 

Staying tunned for more news still in this year. Hopefully, it is something good for WW2 fans like myself.

[IckyATLAS]

I am speechless. Brilliant, excellent, extraordinary. After all you will finally convince me about the battles with "wood and cloth" airplanes.

But now it raises me a question. You mentioned all the difficulties to model realistically such a giant air"ship" with all the effects, damage model sounds etc. 

And I believe that this was a big undertaking and that you pushed the limits again. Bravo. The Zeppelin had many engines up to six or maybe more.

 

Now just to come to WWII don't you think that this kind of gigantic effort could also be done for another less giant air"plane", much smaller than the Zeppelin in fact but also with just four engines, you see where I am going. 🙂 

 

[MDzmitry]

16 минут назад, IckyATLAS сказал:

Now just to come to WWII don't you think that this kind of gigantic effort could also be done for another less giant air"plane", much smaller than the Zeppelin in fact but also with just four engines, you see where I am going. 🙂 

Time for a return question: how many zeppelins do you think were used at a time for bombing? The maximum amount was 3 if I'm not mistaken. Most commonly just 1.

 

Now, how many strategic bombers flew on average per mission? The very first, smallest raid included 12 B-17s, with the Big Week amassing around a thousand Fortresses. And that's in February 1944, the earliest we have in Il-2 is late spring of 1944. 

And what Il-2's engine can handle reliably is around a dozen twin-engined bombers. Hopefully the amount of engines isn't 1:1 proportional to the increase in demand, but even if taken at 1,5, that's only around 8 Fortresses. Not much of an air force if you ask me.

Add to that insufficient map size, lack of fitting airfields to base these monsters and you get a rather pitiful picture if strategic bombers get implemented.

Edited Sunday at 05:38 PM by MDzmitry

[Heart0ne]

1 hour ago, MDzmitry said:

Add to that insufficient map size, lack of fitting airfields to base these monsters and you get a rather pitiful picture if strategic bombers get implemented.

Or they could implement it like in Il-2: Korea, and have the bombers spawn/despawn off-map, and focus the map on the historical "Defence of the Reich" campaign 🙂 

[Trooper117]

2 minutes ago, Heart0ne said:

Or they could implement it like in Il-2: Korea, and have the bombers spawn/despawn off-map, and focus the map on the historical "Defence of the Reich" campaign 🙂 

 

It's not going to happen so all this talk is academic... this has been debated to death here for years and the devs have said it's not going to happen. Time to move on.

[Avimimus]

5 hours ago, MDzmitry said:

Time for a return question: how many zeppelins do you think were used at a time for bombing? The maximum amount was 3 if I'm not mistaken. Most commonly just 1.

 

Some nights saw as many as twelve Zeppelins launched against targets. I think the most sent against a single city in a single night might have been nine.

[Aapje]

3 hours ago, Heart0ne said:

Or they could implement it like in Il-2: Korea, and have the bombers spawn/despawn off-map, and focus the map on the historical "Defence of the Reich" campaign 🙂 

 

That's not what is going to allow large formations, but rather, a simplified AI, which is going to be implemented only in the new engine.

[ST_Catchov]

10 minutes ago, Aapje said:

That's not what is going to allow large formations, but rather, a simplified AI, which is going to be implemented only in the new engine.

 

That's a pity. It's not like the current GB AI is that great. 🙂 Simplified might work better. Not that that's gonna happen but if we're going OT it's food for thought.

[Jackfraser24]

11 hours ago, Cardolan said:

Excellent stuff... and for free!

 

Staying tunned for more news still in this year. Hopefully, it is something good for WW2 fans like myself.

I remember Luke said it will be worth the wait. I trust his word.

[AcesDarthBubu]

7 hours ago, Trooper117 said:

 

It's not going to happen so all this talk is academic... this has been debated to death here for years and the devs have said it's not going to happen. Time to move on.

My 2 cents....

But with all the hype that being built, and saying the community will be happy with the WW2 reveal, if its not 1 of the key ask like B17 then what else. Its going to be a major marketing let down, if the later reveal doesn't surpass the Zeppelin reveal.

 

[BlitzPig_EL]

We would sooner see a flyable B25 or B26 than a B17, but, I'm not holding my breath for any of them.  Flyable multicrew aircraft are simply too expensive to put into the game at this late time in it's development.

[plepew]

"A significant improvement will be the addition of 7 new major cities to the Western Front map: Mons, Namur, Aachen, Verviers, Maastricht, Bruxelles, and Charleroi. Several additional unique landmarks have been added to Paris, including the Arc de Triomphe. Small and big railway stations have been added to many settlements. Several smaller improvements have been made, which together significantly enhance the map's perception and realism."

 

Can't wait to see all these improvements to the W Front map!!