Dear friends,

Today we have published another update 5.505. It brings a new interesting campaign which is somewhat unique - more about it below, and there are also improvements and fixes as usual. Here's the update changelist:

Update 5.505

1. The Gestapo Hunters scripted campaign has been released;
   
2. Bf 110 G-2, Bf 109 F-4, Bf 109 G-2: added the modification "1943 produced engine" with up to 3 minutes emergency mode time;
   
3. Bf 109 G-6 Late and Bf 109 G-6AS: emergency mode time increased to 3 minutes;
   
4. P-39L-1: "Engine V-1710-63 (1943)" modification was added reflecting improvements in the engine design that allowed to increase the emergency modes time (up to 5 minutes at 3000 rpm and 60 pressure);
   
5. Fixed a bug with APHE shells introduced in the previous patch (they could destroy a target without actually piercing its armor);
   
6. Career: fixed a bug in attack aircraft interception missions where the mission point was always placed in a same location if the player's airfield is located far from the front line;
   
7. Career: some of the transport planes in airborne operation interception missions won't be generated invulnerable;
   
8. Normandy Career: enemy units won't appear outside the artillery spotting grid;
   
9. Normandy Career: fixed a bug in artillery spotting missions where a route point was generated on the coast;
   
10. Normandy Career: re-generating ships in Mulberry harbor won't cause their balloons to collide;
    
11. Normandy Career: corrected AA fire density in the landing zone attack and bombardment missions;
    
12. Normandy Career: the player group won't attack a landing zone for too long in landing zone attack and bombardment missions;
    
13. Normandy Career: enemy attack aircraft won't head to the corner of the map in landing zone attack and bombardment missions;
    
14. Airco D.H.2: missing photo in the cockpit added;
    
15. Albatros D.3: missing photo in the cockpit added.

The new campaign Gestapo Hunters, as mentioned above, is a new experience: it is the first official campaign on the Mosquito fighter/bomber and has a voiced navigator! You won't be flying over occupied Europe alone. Let's go about it in detail.

Number 464 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force began service in England as an Article XV light bomber squadron equipped with American made Ventura bombers in December of 1942. The original cadre of the squadron was mostly composed of personnel from Australia and New Zealand, but due to attrition and combat losses, they were a mixed lot by the time they were re-equipped with the Mosquito Mk VI Fighter-Bomber in October of 1943. They executed day and night Intruder missions into France and the Netherlands where they specialized in precision low level bombing attacks deep behind enemy lines. Due to their high speed, they usually flew without fighter escort and relied on their high speed to evade enemy interception. They soon earned the informal nickname 'The Gestapo Hunters' due to their frequent attacks on SS occupied headquarters locations.

In this campaign you and your navigator will fly a mix of precision daylight bombing and night intruder missions. You will fly in formation on larger operations, but you will be on your own for some of the missions, as the pilots soon discovered that it was difficult at best to stay close to their companions in the dark of night. 464 Squadron’s tactics evolved as the Allied invasion of occupied France neared, and you will experience this first hand on D-Day and beyond.

The Mosquito MkVI fighter-bomber was a 2-place airplane, and the pilot and navigator worked closely together to complete the mission assignments. To depict this interaction, audio tracks for the navigator have been included providing voice prompts and directions during flight. These were recorded by Phil "Philthy" Vabre and we thank him for his contribution, which should add a note of authenticity that would not have otherwise been possible.

This is a historically based campaign depicting real events; however, the number of planes and the location of various targets have been altered to improve the player’s experience. The Mosquito was a long-range light bomber capable of flying to Berlin and back without drop tanks, so the 3 or 4 hour missions that were typically flown will be much shorter than they truly were. To improve your perception, it is recommended that you turn off the ambient light in your flying space during the night intruder missions unless you are using VR.

Timeframe: January through July, 1944
Unit: RAAF No. 464 Squadron, 140 Wing, RAF
Aircraft: Mosquito FB Mk VI
Duration: 12 Missions
Average Playtime: 15 Hours
Author: James =Jaegermeister= Yarbrough

This Campaign requires Battle of Normandy to play.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3398310/

And we're glad to announce that the winter sale has started on our website il2sturmovik.com! Take advantage of the huge discounts some of which are the biggest ever to this day - for instance, Battle of Normandy is 75% OFF! Get ready for the holidays in style!