To the Developers

[PhantomIIF4]

Ladies & Gentlemen,

First let me start off by saying that I've been an avid fan of the Il-2 series since the Forgotten Battles installment several years ago. I have 1946 installed on my computer and I still play it from time to time. When I heard this series was coming to the consoles I was excited, and I've enjoyed the Xbox 360 version thus far. I've noticed a few odd errors in terms of the factual representation of the airplanes however, and this rather shocked me as the Il-2 series is what I consider one of the more factually accurate representations of WWII aircraft I've ever come across.

I'm not sure if any of these small issues can be fixed, but I thought I would at least try to bring it to your attention and see if anything can be done.

The first thing I noticed is that the weapons descriptions for the Hawker Hurricane Mk II and Bristol Blenheim are incorrect. While both aircraft carried machine guns, they were of the 7.7-mm (.303 cal.) type as opposed to the larger 12.7-mm (.50 cal.) type. I realize it's a minor issue, and most people playing the game will probably not notice it. Just something I felt I should point out. Oh, and since the 12-gun variant of the Hurricane is represented, the designation should technically be Hurricane Mk IIB. Again, not a huge deal, but just something I noticed.

Additionally, as with the Il-2 itself (at least the earlier models), the rocket armed Hurricane variants were fitted with eight RP-3 rockets as opposed to six as shown in the game. It's not a huge deal, but just something I felt I should point out. I'm guessing entire 3D model changes are rather out of the question, but it was worth mention.

The third issue I noticed involves the P-51B. The aircraft depicted in the game doesn't have the appearance of a P-51B, but rather an earlier variant of the Mustang used by the British known as the Mustang Mk.IA. This early variant of the Mustang series has the Allison V-1710 engine (notice the three-blade propeller and cowling differences as compared to a P-51 variant with the Merlin engine). Thus, in the interest of historical accuracy, this aircraft should be renamed the Mustang Mk IA in all game references to it. Additionally, the armament listing in the hangar of four 12.7-mm Brownings (which is correct for a P-51B) should be listed as four 20-mm Hispanos, which was indeed the armament of the Mustang Mk IA.

Anyways, I hope some of this information can be put to use in potential patches or game updates. Thank you for anytime you can put into reading my comments.