Il2 BoS

[AkenBosch]

That is exactly what I used to do on my earlier bikes, used the trip odometer to estimate how much fuel I had left.

That's what I'm still doing in 2020 on my car. Standard fuel indicator works a charm, but the one for the LPG tank has always been totally shot, so for me it's roughly 350-380 km if mostly city, 480-500 km if mostly outside. At least I can afford missing the estimate and simply petrol my way to a LPG station.

Also, cheers askavir!

 

[Jaaba]

Took a five minute flight yesterday in VR (CV1) once I got the most necessary buttons mapped to my TM Hotas4 stick. I need to start this slowly, even the jumps in iRacing’s RallyX tracks feel too much sometimes.
What a sim! Not the easiest one, but I believe it is manageable to me up to some point, at least with the easier engine setting. Really great work from the Oleg’s team.
I noticed that my stomach doesn’t react too much if I tilt my head in turns to the same direction. That way I can fool my brain to some extent. Dunno what will happen in air combats though.
Landing, well these are no Cessnas from MSFS so that part needs some extra training too . I have to take a look at the Requiem’s videos in some point.
But first I need to grow my VR legs to this sim.

 

[AkenBosch]

Took a five minute flight yesterday in VR (CV1) once I got the most necessary buttons mapped to my TM Hotas4 stick. I need to start this slowly, even the jumps in iRacing’s RallyX tracks feel too much sometimes.

Hey, we share the same struggle have the same stick!
I've been sorely disappointed with finding that BoS doesn't support alt-bindings, it's an absolute necessity with the Hotas X/4. Far too few buttons for everything, especially if it has to be used in VR (so practically no keyboard, even if to be honest, many of the bindings for managing views can be repurposed to plane related stuff in that case). I think I'll have to resort to Joy2Key or something like that to map some throttle buttons to ctrl-alt functions....

Not tried it in VR yet (Rift S here), looking forward to it, getting used to violent maneuvers can take a while indeed but it can be done, growing VR legs is actually a thing...in little more than a couple 2-hours sessions in Elite, I've gone from feeling instant nausea and cold shiver just by yawing and rolling in an Asp while docking, to full FA Off aerobatics in a racing Viper with only minor discomfort if I really go crazy on an endless corkscrew. Looking forward to do the same in a Tempest.

 

[Glen Fiddik]

Nice update
Dear Friends,



It's the middle of Autumn already and the work on the project progresses well. For instance, the AI-controlled transport plane C-47A Skytrain (Dakota) for Battle of Normandy is almost ready and you'll get it in the next update. This WWII veteran served in air forces and civilian air fleets of many countries for several decades - one of the iconic symbols of the piston era of aviation. These aircraft played a tremendous role in the Battle of Normandy, dropping paratroopers, supplies and towing assault gliders. This legend will be finally reconstructed in our project, even if it is an AI only aircraft for now. Later on, when we complete another stage of the Career mode improvements, it will be used in this mode for transporting cargo loads, airdropping paratroopers and parachute supply containers for the troops on the front-lines. At the moment the new paratrooper model and its integration in the Career mode are not yet ready for Early Access, so this aircraft will be available in QMB and community-created custom missions as an ally or enemy loaded with cargo or parachute supply containers.











The second hero of the day is the upcoming Collector Plane - the British Hawker Hurricane Mk.II fighter. This legendary early war aircraft saw much action in the Battle of Britain and later on the Eastern Front with the Red Army Air Force via the lend-lease program. This fighter actively participated in the Battle of Moscow and Battle of Stalingrad and the owners of this Collector Plane will be able to use it in the Battle of Moscow and Battle of Stalingrad careers in the coming update. There were many different modifications of this plane, the most interesting ones will be available in our sim:

• Hurricane Mk.IIa - default model with eight Browning .303 MGs;
• Hurricane Mk.IIb - modification with twelve (!) Browning .303 MGs;
• Hurricane Mk.IIc - modification with four 20mm Hispano Mk.II guns;
• Hurricane Mk.IId - two assault modifications with two Browning .303 MGs and two 40mm Vickers S Class guns, with or without additional armor plates;
• Hurricane Mk.II Soviet - modification armed with Soviet bombs, unguided rockets, two 12.7mm UBK MGs and two 20mm ShVAK cannons;
• In addition, either of the modifications listed above can be equipped with a Merlin engine with an additional boost, air cleaner for dusty conditions and rear-view mirror.

The work on Tank Crew is continuing as well. The coming update will include very important changes for ground vehicle AI, both detailed and simpler modeled vehicles, making the AI gunner actions more realistic. To hit a target at a distance, they will usually bracket a target with gunfire as they find the proper range. Spotting a target to the side of the current aiming line will require more time the more distant it is. Both of these actions will depend on the AI proficiency level set in the mission. The AI gunner will also behave more naturally when the target is destroyed or no longer visible - it won't rotate the turret to the default position immediately, but will wait for some time, looking for more targets in the same general direction. Many smaller improvements and changes will be added as well, as we prepare Tank Crew for its official release.

 

[askavir]

Fantastic news and pictures.

Very happy to get confirmation that the C-47 will eventually be flyable, and very looking forward to the incoming Hurricane.

 

[Mole HD]

I've been spoiled by flying the Hurricane variants in Desert wings already...can't wait to try them in IL2 without the fiddly FaceTracknoIR emulation for the Tobii...it's still twitchy and just not the same without eyetracking.

 

[AkenBosch]

Spent some good minutes a few evenings ago skimming at 450 km/h along a river bed, deep inside some narrow valley in Kuban...in VR. The 1060 clearly doesn't cut it and the Rift reprojected hard most of the time to keep it together, but what an experience. Resolution and clarity can't compete with the monitor experience (gauges were readable though, with the added bonus of leaning forward to read them better), but looking around and feeling the wings outside and the space of your cabin, leaning over a side and looking at trees zip by below, is a different thing. I'll hardly use it for actual missions for the time being, but I'm fine with it as a free fly experience from time to time for now.

Started a career on the Volga front after switching back to 2D, now in my day four with two 109 kills, a land vehicle, three crash landings, a safe but off-target one and a succesfull ejection over friendly territory. It's looking good, and if I keep doing this well, I might just stick a landing with all propellers blade still turning by the end of the month!

 

[VR Morgan Grimes]

Took a five minute flight yesterday in VR (CV1) once I got the most necessary buttons mapped to my TM Hotas4 stick. I need to start this slowly, even the jumps in iRacing’s RallyX tracks feel too much sometimes.
What a sim! Not the easiest one, but I believe it is manageable to me up to some point, at least with the easier engine setting. Really great work from the Oleg’s team.
I noticed that my stomach doesn’t react too much if I tilt my head in turns to the same direction. That way I can fool my brain to some extent. Dunno what will happen in air combats though.
Landing, well these are no Cessnas from MSFS so that part needs some extra training too . I have to take a look at the Requiem’s videos in some point.
But first I need to grow my VR legs to this sim.

Just a small point, it's nothing to do with Oleg, he left the sim industry years ago.

 

[askavir]

Spent some good minutes a few evenings ago skimming at 450 km/h along a river bed, deep inside some narrow valley in Kuban...in VR.

The Kuban map is my favorite. Love all the hills, the rivers, the tree covered valleys and all the sea...

 

[Jaaba]

Just a small point, it's nothing to do with Oleg, he left the sim industry years ago.

Thanks for the correction!

 

[Glen Fiddik]

nice

Source: https://youtu.be/eqgw98Fg9No

 

[askavir]

To what range do you guys usually set weapon convergence?

I started with the default 600m, but seemed way too far, then switched to just 250m. I found that 250m works really well when I'm able to hang right behind the enemy tail, which is my preferred "style", I prefer to wait until I'm very sure I'm going to hit the enemy as ammo is scarce, so I usually fly until I manage to get right behind at close range before I open fire.

Thing is, this works really well but only against relatively slower or less agile airplanes (or with flawless energy management), so lately I increased the convergence to 400m and I'm working on my "fire while turning" accuracy, basically shooting to the front of the enemy during a turn to hit their engines.
While this would work great in a lot more scenarios, as my medium range accuracy is still not great, most of the time all that precious ammo goes to waste and I run out long before the engagements are over, so I'm tempted to go back to setting convergence to 250m and return to my previous tail-grabbing, short range shooting method. It requires more demanding flying, but less demanding aim, and given that fuel is far more abundant than bullets, this still feels like the more efficient way (for me at least).

So I was wondering about your experiences with this? Should I have used a longer convergence setting? Should I keep to low convergence and shoot from up close?

 

[AkenBosch]

At least in the few sorties I made so far in the Yak-1 in BoS, I found my turning fight sweet spot between 300 and 400 on the enemy six, so I've started to set convergence at 350 m. I found the default 600 a bit too optmistic for my aim as well (my stick isn't that accurate either, and at that distance even simple recoil will get bullets off target). A thing I've noticed is that BoS Luftwaffe doesn't seem aware they are flying a superb energy fighter but a mediocre turner, so the first thing they'll do is get on an endless spiraling fight, leaving me with plenty of time to improve my lacking skill at shot deflection in the rudimental but highly maneuverable Yak.

 

[Mole HD]

To what range do you guys usually set weapon convergence?

I started with the default 600m, but seemed way too far, then switched to just 250m. I found that 250m works really well when I'm able to hang right behind the enemy tail, which is my preferred "style", I prefer to wait until I'm very sure I'm going to hit the enemy as ammo is scarce, so I usually fly until I manage to get right behind at close range before I open fire.

Thing is, this works really well but only against relatively slower or less agile airplanes (or with flawless energy management), so lately I increased the convergence to 400m and I'm working on my "fire while turning" accuracy, basically shooting to the front of the enemy during a turn to hit their engines.
While this would work great in a lot more scenarios, as my medium range accuracy is still not great, most of the time all that precious ammo goes to waste and I run out long before the engagements are over, so I'm tempted to go back to setting convergence to 250m and return to my previous tail-grabbing, short range shooting method. It requires more demanding flying, but less demanding aim, and given that fuel is far more abundant than bullets, this still feels like the more efficient way (for me at least).

So I was wondering about your experiences with this? Should I have used a longer convergence setting? Should I keep to low convergence and shoot from up close?

Normally 350m in BoS for WW2 aircraft or the amount of lead you need to apply for deflection shooting beyond that is very difficult to guesstimate. With MG's especially... in a turn fight with deflection shooting, the enemy planes is below your sight level 90% of the time and you don't normally see hits until it appears above the level of the cockpit dash trailing glycol or fuel if you've been lucky.

Flying circus...100-150m.

 

[AkenBosch]

...in a turn fight with deflection shooting, the enemy planes is below your sight level 90% of the time and you don't normally see hits until it appears above the level of the cockpit dash trailing glycol or fuel if you've been lucky.

100% this.

...I was thinking, if I fly in VR and get tangled in a turn fight, I can always stand up, clip through the canopy and peek over the nose of my plane to see where my shots are landing. Pretty sure that was a legit tactic back in the days.

 

[Mole HD]

What I discovered was by using the target pip cheat..Shift+ i...the one that gives you the little red aiming marker... gives you a better idea where and when to shoot when using deflection shooting. I tried using it as a training aid just to see how far off I had been with my deflection aiming...surprisingly I was way off... and the reason I was burning through ammo with very little to show for it. I never use the aiming aid as a rule (immersion etc) but turning it on for one or 2 dogfights certainly helped me estimate the deflection lead far better without it on.

My main issue with either under or over estimating lead was switching between Flying Circus and BoS. With WW1 planes flying way slower my lead off was practically on point every shot...switching to BoS I was off...way off...always through failing to estimate and allow for target speed as well as the angle of attack etc. It always helps with the WW1 planes having a massively effective rudder with those lower speeds and I found I'm always using it more for correcting deflection when I'm playing FC than when I switch to BoS.

 

[Glen Fiddik]

Update now live. Hurri up

 

[askavir]

Update now live. Hurri up

Fantastic, will have a blast with it tonight!

MoleHD is gonna love this as well.

 

[Mole HD]

Fantastic, will have a blast with it tonight!

MoleHD is gonna love this as well.

I would if my electricity supply and connection to t'interweb was playing nice. I guess the galeforce winds blew under the door of the generating station, snuffed the candles out and the hamsters stopped running.

We've had mains power cuts for a week now so I'm running on the diesel backup...the wind turbine is switched off too since it automatically cuts out with winds over 45 knots. Life on an small rock in the ocean...60+mph winds and horizontal rain for over a week...no ferries...no electricity

Saying that, it's damned awesome seeing the power of nature up close as we up here do fairly regularly...as long as it's not pouring through the front door

 

[askavir]

I would if my electricity supply and connection to t'interweb was playing nice. I guess the galeforce winds blew under the door of the generating station, snuffed the candles out and the hamsters stopped running.

We've had mains power cuts for a week now so I'm running on the diesel backup...the wind turbine is switched off too since it automatically cuts out with winds over 45 knots. Life on an small rock in the ocean...60+mph winds and horizontal rain for over a week...no ferries...no electricity

Saying that, it's damned awesome seeing the power of nature up close as we up here do fairly regularly...as long as it's not pouring through the front door

Holy crap, fantastic pictures, beautiful and scary at the same time! Is that your house?

I too have a fascination with big waves and rough stormy seas, from a safe distance of course .

I am lucky to live only 100km from the place with the biggest consistent waves in the entire world, Nazare, where surfists from all the world come to seek new world records for the highest wave surfed. Usually thousands of people gather at the cliff slopes to watch, between November and February when the gigantic waves phenomena is rather common. I've been there several times, and watching those gargantuan walls of water coming in my direction to crash into the cliffs sometimes makes my blood freeze. The sound alone is mighty impressive. Those surfers down there are completely nuts, I say!

Spoiler: Monster waves at Nazare

Spoiler: Current world record for highest wave surfed, 24 meters (80 feet) - the equivalent of a 6 story building

Regarding the Hurricane, that's awful bad luck you got there, I hope it all gets sorted soon.

Took it for a spin on a free flight in my favorite map, Kuban, set early morning 7am rainy weather, blasting through those southern Kuban narrow canyons over rivers is a blast, it's such a fun plane to fly. In career mode it's only available for battle of Moscow and Battle of Stalingrad, meaning we won't get to fly it for the Brits in career mode.

It features tons of optionals, I think it's the most customizable aircraft so far. Regarding weapons there are lot of options too including bombs, but you will always have to choose between heavy guns with very low ammo, or weak guns with huge amounts of ammo, no in-between.

Very happy with the buy, and I'm sure you'll love it too.