Flight Combat

Here is an update from the Producer of Flight Combat with regard to flying bombers in that simulation:

All stations are accessible and we are doing TRUE co-op (that is, you and all your buddies can be on one bomber, each manning a different position) as well as regular adversarial multiplay. Some of the bombers featured are the B-17, B-24, He-111, Ju-87 and Ju-88 (and a few others that I can't comment on yet.)

Ju87 from Flight Combat.

MiG Alley Update

Here is an update on MiG Alley from Tom Chick's article in Strategy Plus:

Sims without dynamic campaigns have been regarded by some simmers as incomplete: DID re-released F-22 Air Dominance Fighter with a dynamic campaign as Total Air War. Rowan's last game, Flying Corps, did a passable job with a semi-dynamic mission structure. This time around, though, they're hoping to give the current King of the Dynamic Campaigns a run for its money. "Our campaign is even more intense that what we've seen in Falcon 4.0," gushes Stephen Wickes of Empire Interactive, the company publishing Rowan's sim.

The game tracks ground forces, aircraft, and supply routes throughout the entire Korean peninsula, using these factors to determine the shifting front between UN and Communist forces. Daily briefings list major events and the capture of important targets. The player assumes the role of Supreme Air Commander and assigns his squadrons directives, dividing his air power among Air Superiority, Chokepoints, Supply, Airfields, Roads, Railways, Army Support, and Resting.

The computer will then generate missions, laying out waypoints and targets, and assigning pilots and loadouts. These plans can be tweaked or entirely reworked by players who would prefer to directly manage their aircraft. The mission planner zooms in and out smoothly using an adjustable map scale. Filters can be used to display civilian targets, specific types of military units, elements of the supply network, or airfields for easier mission planning

Ground forces are under control of the computer, but they won't be abstracted as they were in DID's Total Air War: players can watch the fighting when they're flying over active battle areas. In fact, the AI will send ground units scrambling for cover when enemy aircraft approach. Ground attack missions will include the use of bombs, rockets, and napalm.

Click to continue

MiG Alley

In some missions, ground troops or recon aircraft will serve as forward air control (FAC), directing you to your target with smoke markers. You'll even be able to interact with the FAC after a bombing run if you need the target to be remarked for another pass. Rowan hopes to create a strong sense of the sort of coordinated interaction with ground forces that characterized the UN's strategy against the Communist forces. Similarly, MiG Alley will offer full radio communications with your wingmen and traffic control, using the now-standard menu system.

Bombers for IL-2 Sturmovik?

IL2 Sturmovik

I asked Oleg Maddox of Maddox Games about plans for bombers in IL-2 Sturmovik. Here is his reply:

In add-ons we plan a lot of planes and there will be present famous Russian middle range bombers Pe-2 and Tu-2. Pe-2 was also used as a heavy fighter and was a very dangerous enemy, especially for the bombers and Stuka's. Pe-3, which really was a re-engined version of the Pe-2 was very similar to the English Mosquito, but with more powerful weapons and good armor. (The Pe-2 was the first aircraft in the world (1939, in series, not experimental), which had electric-buster control of the flight.)

If IL-2 succeeds, one of our add-ons can be with the Pe-8 - a four engine long-range bomber similar to B-17. The Pe-8 was created in 1938 and in a series was built from 1940. The first real battle experience was in August, 1941 with the first bombing of Berlin and some other German cities.

Pe-8's lifted off from Moscow and bombed Berlin, then returned to Moscow without any landing during this flight. Escorting of Pe-8s was using with long-range twin engine bombers, called AR-2, flown all years from 1941-45. The best operation of Pe-8's - destruction of Koenigsberg fortifications and communcations in the end of 1944.

Some other bomber types, like the TB-3, wasn't used in the war as a bomber, because it was too old (1933-35.) But several operations with this plane was where the TB-3 was a great flying bomb itself with a radio control from an escorting plane, ships in the sea and ground radar control.