The Firebirds major update brings with it an array of improvements to the aviation portion of the game, specifically test flights, airfields, cockpit models and graphical features. In todays dev blog well be diving in and taking a look at them, so lets get started!

Greatly Improved Test Flights!

Introducing the new Test Flight for aircraft, coming in with a range of improvements. You can now choose the terrain type for the test flight itself, from Western Europe, Eastern Europe Winter, Desert, Mountains, Jungle or Middle East Mediterranean. Previously you were only able to spawn on the airfield, but that has changed! Before going into a test flight, you can now select a spawn point: either on the airfield as normal, or from 500 m to 7 km in the air for planes, and up to 2 km for helicopters, or at an enemy air defense zone to test out your evasive maneuvers. Naval-based aircraft can now also choose between spawning on an aircraft carrier as well. Airfields themselves have been greatly improved too. Theres new airfield buildings, light indications on the airstrip and even aircraft skid marks at each end of the runway. The test flight itself now has a much more diverse range of targets for you to test out your weapons against, and from different eras. Static and moving ground vehicles, from trucks to tanks, enemy aircraft at different altitudes, bases to bomb, different types of ships, and active air defense systems. When selecting the target rank as High, surface-to-air missile capable vehicles will attack you with missiles and ping you with radar. Original test flight settings are still available, such as gamemode, time of day and weather, unlimited fuel or ammo, configuring gun targeting distance and vertical targeting, fuel amount and ammo belts, secondary weapons and countermeasures.

Cockpit Models Update

Weve upgraded several cockpit models for some planes and helicopters. For planes this includes the entire line of the Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber including the cannon variants, the Soviet Su-2 attackers and lastly the BB-1. For helicopters, the US and Chinese OH-58D as well as the Italian Agusta A.109EOA-2 cockpit models have been updated.

RWR Indication and New Screens

For fans of jet aircraft and modern helicopters, theres some really important improvements to the immersion while in first-person cockpit view. The indication of warning systems (RWR) is now displayed in the cockpits exactly as these systems would work in reality on specific models of aircraft. Threat markers and signs of their status (for example locked on, launch, new threat, etc) can differ for the third-person camera and cockpit view. For a full list of onboard RWR models and their functionality in first-person view, take a look at the Firebirds major changelog once it releases!
For those who fly in first-person view, the Firebirds major update will add a radar screen and RWS screen to the JAS39A Gripen, a multi-functional display (MFD) for the Platan optical-electronic system in the Su-34 cockpit, and authentic digital indicators for multi-functional displays, as well as a HUD for the F-15E.

Air Combat Graphical Effects

When taking your aircraft out in air battles in the Firebirds major update, youll definitely notice improvements in terms of graphical effects! For example, the afterburner flame effect for jet aircraft and the effect of rocket boosters have been updated. Brand-new LERX Vapor effects on different surfaces of the aircrafts wings when gaining altitude and performing maneuvers will now appear, as well as new effects when aircraft slide on different surfaces such as concrete, snow and sand. Thats not all, as the effects of air-to-air missile and anti-aircraft missile explosions in the air have been reworked. After the explosion occurs, in some cases youll be able to see how the engine motor of the missile continues to move along the flight path for a brief time.