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More stuff Hello Everyone! This week we are showing a Dev. Diary a little early because we have some vacation and Covid-related holiday time that interferes with our normal routine. So, before we take a little time off, here are some quick shots of the German Sd.Kfz. 10/5 Flak 38 in the actual game engine. As you can see the textures are not anywhere near ready, but it is starting to become functional including some of the damage model and the gunsights. Once again, our partners at DigitalForms have done a terrific job on the model. In the images below you can see how a machine gun from a Soviet armored car shot up my engine and ended my mission. The sights on this German gun are quite different from the Soviet 72-K and maybe it’s a bit more user friendly? You’ll have to be the judge when you try it, but it sure is fun trying to knock down planes with either gun! Again, the textures are not done and this is just an early Beta example and we wanted to show you that progress is being made. The Sd.Kfz. 10/5 Flak 38 will be ready for action later this summer. In WWII aircraft news – the P-51B/C is scheduled be the next aircraft released as we work on other things like the V-1 ‘Buzz Bomb’. The P-51B/C will be released late summer; the exact date is unknown at this point, but we’ll have updated pics for you just as soon as we can. In WWI aircraft news, Ugra Media is hard at work on several FC2 planes and the map, but the closest to release is the Pfalz D.XII. She will be ready for our next update. Recently, when I collected the USAAF squadron emblems for BON, created once again by our friend Isaac ‘Solidkreate’ Chavira, I was inspired to make another poster. This time for the P-47D-22 with all the USAAF Ninth Air Force squadrons that will be a part of the Battle of Normandy Career. There are quite a few that flew the Razorback during that period. ….. and finally, a shot that you have been waiting a long time to see. A Bf-109 with something new under slung its belly. Functional drop tanks are being worked on for several planes, but it will take time to retrofit the aircraft that need them. Enjoy! The Sturmovik Team

The overpriced monster is now living in its new house. I will be watching lots of videos on setting up the G2. Hopefully it will be worth the vast expense.

Thanks to all for nursemaiding the newbie yesterday, comms and advice were spot on and helped make the flight. Till next time. Bob

We have DangerDogz that do that

Thx for the clear explanation Fenrir, I was spooked by the calendar and will give it a go next time. The AI are not all that bright, I had my wingman, 10 miles from base after a mission, pancake down on top of me in level flight in formation. I just happened to look up and saw him coming down like an out of gas UFO..

Mission Date 19/12/44 402nd FS - Reconnaissance, Nettersheim-Gerolstein 485th FS - Fighter Sweep, Prum-Zulpich Debrief: 370th FG 402nd FS: 485th FS: 6 a/c of Zenith Squadron took off uneventfully and proceeded to the patrol area, climbing to Angels 19 en-route. Just after our turn onto the Northern leg of our patrol route 2ndLt. Artage called out a formation of unidentified aircraft closing from our 10 o'clock low, approximately Angels 15. These resolved into enemy short-nosed Fw 190s, 5-6 in all and after calling to jettison our bombs, I led Red 2, Lt. Nailed, in a wheeling dive down onto the rear of their formation which began to break up. The dogfight lasted a good few minutes until all the e/a were eventually dispatched, with claims for myself, Capt. Payne, Lt. Nailed and 2nd Lt. Snocker. 2nd Lt. Bayles also made a claim but for some reason this has been denied by Wing HQ; apparently an AAA battery in the area is making a claim and they've been awarded it. There was plenty of AAA - both enemy and friendly - in the area as the dogfight occurred directly over the front lines. We turned back toward Zulpich, aiming to get back to altitude when I spotted 2 contrails to our NW. We closed climbing hard all the way with 2nd Lt. Bayles the first to ID and engage the bogeys; turns out they were Ju 52s! Also turns out that Bayles is a damn find marksman as he downed the no.2 a/c in his first pass, in a 45 degree climb from head-on! Nice work that man. The lead aircraft then reversed course and I approached with Red 2 from it's low 5 position, putting an accurate and heavy burst into the right wing root and walking the fire across the under fuselage and into the left wing; it lost control and crashed shortly thereafter. Regrouping, 2nd Lt Artage spotted another bogey skimming the treetops just SW of Kelz airfield. Sending his section down and keeping the rest above Angels 10, we watched as Artie ID'd the a/c as another enemy Ju 52, and clinically dispatched it with a controlled burst. This e/a crashed just North of Kelz airfield. At this point I was having fuel feed issues and elected to RTB, but directed Reds 3 & 4 to join with White flight and for Capt. Payne to search for targets at his discretion. Despite being given clearance to join them Red 2 kindly stayed on my wing and we had an uneventful flight home and landing. Capt. Payne took the remainder down to search for possible strafing opportunities but found slim pickings as it looked like the 402nd had already been through the area and picked off the majority of the targets. There were a few however and these were duly liquidated. With ammo running low and targets sparse Capt. Payne wisely decided to make the best of it and called RTB, landing some 10 minutes after Zenith leader and Red 2. Good mission chaps, well done all.

Hey Patrick, The start time is based on a variety of factors; on a normal co-op evening people turn up and drop out for the night/evening/afternoon generally at their leisure. Even if you joined a bit later than the majority, generally you would only have to wait 5-15 minutes till the next coop mission started, there being somtimes3-5 run in the course of the session. However, with a single 1-1.5 hour coop it vastly complicates attendance: everyone who wants in has to be there prior to my generating the mission (I can't generate slots for every possible attendee and just leave the AI to fly those who don't show, in case the AI does something dumb and kills off your persona!) so we had to set a cut-off time to have everyone who wants to fly be there... We have American continent guys joining in their afternoon, with Brits just after supper time and the Euro guys worrying about needing to hit the sack before the mission ends. Ultimately we tested out a few times and eventually it settled on 2100 as a good compromise for everyone. Everyone is generally landed by by 2230/2300 BST, and some duck out early if necessary (without penalty) so there is that option for you.

That is a shame GPatricks, it would be great to have you join us. As Friar has said we can start our regular GBS coops every other Tuesday and Sunday at 20.00 BST so 21.00 for you. Maybe fly an hour or so, then 😴 ? Fooltrottle (Netherlands) and Sweper (Sweden) are also BST+1 but our Canadian and American guys vary from BST -5 to -8 depending. Fine if you are retired but not so easy when you are working of course. Hopefully you will enjoy flying with us enough so that you won’t mind the time compromise required ?

It lives It has got colour changing lights on it, its like a disco. Remember them? BB check your PMs

Its only the P38 campaign that starts at 21:00 UK time. All our other nights tend to get going an hour earlier

It's to give the N Americans a chance to fly

Well I have just had an email My new card is being dispatched (at long last) So the 1080 will soon need to be rehoused. Will chat tonight.

Salute, With the introduction of the Typhon I was wondering if there would be any interest in us running a special event on a non P38 Sunday that involved tanks and planes (DDZ v AI) I am thinking something on the Rhineland map (whilst we wait for Normandy) where by Shermans are advancing but come up against a stronghold, and have to call in some air strikes? I could throw in some air to air for the fighter jocks to clear the skies first, some ground units for the Shermans to attack on route? What do we think? Any embellishments to the idea welcome.

I'd prefer peer adversaries; if it's Shermans and the Western Front Rhineland map then I suggest go reasonably authentic: If it's Autumn/Winter 1944 then: Spitfire IX and XIV, Tiffie, Tempest, P-51, P-38 and P-47D (no 150 octane) vs Fw 190A-6/A-8/D-9, Bf 109G-6 late/G-14/K-4 and a limited number of Me 262. If it's Winter/Spring 1945 then: Spitfire IX and XIV, Tiffie, Tempest , P-51, P-38 and P-47D (150 octane for the RAF birds only) vs Fw 190A-8/D-9, Bf 109G-14/K-4 and a limited number of Me 262.