THE UPDATE IS NOW LIVE
---== UPDATE FL2055: RULE BRITANNIA ==---
By: Robert, Bollok, Grumpy
3d art: IArt7 (skins)
All made possible by: Bcamel (creator of the program used to model the airplanes)
--= Spitfire series =--
The whole Spitfire series has been remodeled. See below for details.
--= Brand new airplanes added =--
Several new planes have been built and added to the Warbirds roster. These are the: Yak-9U, Mosquito NF.30, Mosquito B.XVI (bomber), Seafire III and the Hurricane I *87 octane (pre Battle of Britain version limited to +6.25 lbs of boost). Also one of the two Spitfire Mk I's has been converted into an 87 octane pre BoB version. See below for details.
--= P-47D series =--
* All Jugs now have two internal selectable fuel tanks to simulate their internal main- and auxiliary tanks, which were fully separate from each other in real life. The fuel tanks are placed next to each other though so a good burst to the belly could damage both of them.
* Hitmaps have been fully revamped and are now more accurate.
* Minor fix to wing efficiency: 0.91 instead of 0.93.
* Control-delay set to normal values.
--= Yak series =--
* Aileron/elevator control effectiveness, in relation to airspeed, has been tweaked.
--= Sea Hurricane Ib =--
Slight rebuild of the Sea Hurricane's engine setup. Also the bomb loadout option has been removed.
--= Lancaster series =--
The stall speed has been lowered by 10 mph for both Lancasters.
--= Skins =--
Skins have been changed/updated/added for the: Hurricane I, Hurricane Ia, Seafire IIc, Seafire III, Spitfire IXa, Spitfire LF IXe, Spitfire XIVe, Mosquito NF.30, Mosquito B.XIV, Yak-9U, MiG-15 and F86. (Also a few sound fixes to some of these flightmodels).
--== THE NEW MOSQUITO NF.30 ==--
This "Wooden wonder" late war version used the two stage Merlin 72 engines which, compared to the NF.II's engines, improved the flight envelope by around 10 000 ft. The NF.30 has a full throttle height (FTH) at 25000 ft. This intruder nightfighter is armed with 4x 20 mm Hispano cannons with 175 rpg.
--= THE NEW MOSQUITO B.XVI =--
The B.XVI also used the two stage Merlin 72 engines and was a fast and potent high altitude bomber for hit n' run attacks. It has a large selection of loadouts which gives it great versatility for different bombing missions.
--== THE NEW YAK-9U ==--
While the Yak-3 and Yak-9D might look similar, the Yak-3 was a significantly smaller aircraft both in shape, wing area and weight compared to the Yak-9D. The Yak-3 was more agile, faster and climbed better while the Yak-9D had more fuel for long range missions. They both used the Klimov VK-105PF engine but the Yak-3 used a version of it which allowed for a better max boost. The late war Yakovlev version, the Yak-9U was based on the heavier Yak-9D but used a much improved Klimov VK-107a engine, producing 1650 hp at 1st FTH compared to the 1300 hp of the Yak-3. The -9U is 12 mph faster at sea level (366 mph) and 33 mph faster at 15000 ft (415 mph). This 1945 Yakovlev version was considered the best in the series, and while being heavier than the Yak-3, the stronger powerplant of the Yak-9U actually gives it a better power/weight ratio and it can as such hold a sustained turn right on par with the -3. The armament consists of 2x 12.7 mm MG's and 1x 20 mm cannon with fairly short clips, but the Yak-9U is an excellent climber, agile and quite fast. It is best used below 13000 ft. It is also competetive in a sustained turn vs other late war fighters altough it's small wings result in a fairly large turn radius and high stall speed compared to several other fighters of the same size. All in all though it is able to counter it's ww2 adversaries, the FW 190 and Bf 109, quite well.
--== THE NEW HURRICANE I *87 OCTANE ==--
In every aspect like the normal Hurricane I, except that this is a pre Battle of Britain version running on 87 octane fuel. As such it is limited +6.25 lbs of boost (no +12 lbs WEP). This FM is primarily intended to be used for S3's.
--== THE SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE SERIES REHAUL ==--
The Spitfires are all potent interceptors, generally having a very good power/weight ratio across the range. They are also fast for their respective eras, and thanks to their elliptical wing shape their wings have a wing efficiency superior to fighters of more rectangular wing geometry. The wings have only a root thickness ratio of 13% though, resulting in a low max AoA allowance. This hampers the Spitfires turning radius, and also results in a slightly worse stall speed than for planes of similiar wingloading. The Spitfires have excellent all around vision though and give ample stall warning. A drawback is that all later marks in the series have relatively short ammo clips.
--= Spitfire I =--
The Mk.I became famous in the Battle of Britain. While there are some early war fighters that can turn inside it, the Spit I is still very competitive in a turn fight. This coupled with an excellent top speed and 8x .303 cal Mg's makes it a dangerous opponent. It's drawback is that the Merlin III engine loses in performance above 15000 ft. A good tactic for nimble opponents is to engage the Spitfire in scissors or keep inside it's turning radius in high speed turns, although the Spitfire can often find a way to beat it's enemy when flown by a wise pilot.
--= Spitfire I *87 octane =--
This version is in every aspect like the normal Mk. I, except that it is a pre-BoB version and limited to +6.25 lbs of boost.
--= Spitfire II =--
The Mk. II is equipped with the Merlin XII engine, rated at 1302 hp at 14300 ft. It has a similar max boost as the Merlin III up to 9000 ft, but has an improved high altitude performance. The Spit II also has more base BHP when flown at cruise or climb power, meaning that it's faster and climbs better than the Spit I when not in WEP. The Mk.II gave the English pilots a well needed boost in high altitude performance against the German BF 109E's.
--= Spitfire Vb =--
Upgraded with the Merlin 45 engine, the Mk.Vb saw an additional 200 hp increase. This version has had the 8x .303 cals exhanged for 4x .303 cals and 2x 20 mm cannons (60 rpg), which gives it a better punch although the pilot needs to conserve the cannon ammo for sure shots. The Spit Vb is a little heavier than the Mk.II, but the better engine makes up for it regarding power/weight ratio. While being good improvements for the Spitfire series, the Mk.V's faced a dangerous opponent in the Fw 190A during ww2. The Spitfires can easily turn inside it, but the superior speed of the Focke Wulf allows the German pilots to dictate the battle. Against all other opponents the Spitfire Vb can mix it well in a dogfight.
--= Spitfire LF Vc =--
The LF Vb has the Merlin 45M engine. The "LF" prefix indicates that it's engine is tooled for low altitude performance, and it's 10 mph faster at sea level than the Mk.Vb. Above 7000 ft though the Vb has a clearly superior performance, and the LF Vc is almost 30 mph slower at 15000 ft. A big advantage with the LF Vc is it's increased cannon ammo load, with 240 rounds compared to the 120 rounds of the Vb.
--= Spitfire IXa =--
Taking to the skies in mid 1942, the Spitfire IX series was Great Britains answer to the German FW 190's. The IXa has an improved powerplant, with it's Merlin 61 engine producing 1525 hp at 15400 ft. While being fairly equal to the Merlin 45 in max output at lower altitudes, it has a two stage supercharger with a much better high altitude performance. The Spit V is probably the better fighter for low n slow dogfighting, as it has equal max power and a lower weight, but for high altitude missions the Spit IXa is clearly the superior interceptor.
--= Spitfire LF IXe =--
The LF IXe was a great improvement to the Supermarine series, and by many considered as one of the best fighters of it's era. The Merlin 66 engine was a work of art and could juice out 1742 hp at 9400 ft, and was impressive for a mid 1943 inline engine. The LF IXe could reach around 375 mph at 9400 ft and 406 mph at 21000 ft, which was equal to the Fw 190A-8, altough the Fw 190A-8 was faster at sea level. The LF IXe also has an improved armament with 2x .50 cals replacing the 4x .303 cals of the IXa. This fighter has great speed for it's era, can pack a punch and outturn nearly every single 1943 fighter thanks to it's low wing loading, great power/weight ratio and the high wing efficiency of it's eliptically shaped wings. It is certainly a fighter that can be flown with confidence in nearly every match-up.
--= Spitfire XIVe =--
Being powered by the Rolls-Royce Griffon 65 engine and using 150 grade fuel, the Mk. XIVe had an output of an astounding 2200 hp at 9700 ft, which was nearly unequalled in WW2. This fighter is not a beast but rather a monster. When using it's +21 lbs WEP the Spitfire XIVe can run like a P-51D, climb with the very best and hold a sustained turn better than all other late war fighters. This will probably be a popular choice for those players who want to suddenly improve their "skill" level. When flying at normal power or climb power though, the Spitfire XIVe has a power output similar to the LF IXe, and since the XIVe is heavier, the LF IXe is actually a better performer out of WEP. A smart pilot will know to manage the engine temperature though and have the +21 lbs WEP at hand when needed. Pilots facing the Spitfire XIVe can outfly it in scissors if in a nimbler plane, but should avoid a 1v1 turn fight with it. Also if flying with others then using wingman tactics can prevent the XIVe pilot from making it a pure turn fight. The main drawback of the Spitfire XIVe was it's fuel range, although this will usually only be a real issue in the S3 events.
--= Seafire IIc =--
The Seafire IIc is in every respect a naval carrier based version of the Spitfire LF Vc, also fielding the Merlin 45M engine. The notable difference is that the Seafire IIc is 532 lb heavier due to additional naval equipment. It is a very good carrier fighter for interception duty.
--= Seafire III =--
The Seafire III uses the same engine as the Mk. IIc, although it's even heavier than it's predecessor due to the new folding wings mechanism, which was introduced in order to save deck space aboard carriers. The Seafire III has a wide range of loadout options though which makes it better for supporting strike missions.
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/Robert
