by Obi Offiah

Ken was telling me how all the buttons and switches in the aircraft functioned realistically. He panned to the left hand side of the cockpit, and there were some switches on a console by the pilot's right arm. He flipped a switch. Graham D had been watching and explained that that switch operated some kind of air scoop or exhaust port. Ken reverted to the outside view and my eyes popped out of my head. To my astonishment a small port had begun to open below the P-51. It was situated just to the rear of the hump underneath the aircraft.

Unfortunately I can't remember exactly what the function of the port was, but I 'think' Graham mentioned it was related to engine performance. These guys really loved showing off their sim and you could tell. Attention to detail was overwhelming. This is a true B17 simulation, and not only a combat simulation.

The machine guns on the P-51 are awesome, let me tell you. They are not just textured holes in the leading edge of the P-51, but are proper 3D barrel ends. Ken started shooting off some rounds to display the artwork they had done on the weapons. It's a real shame you couldn't see it because it was something crazy. The muzzles lit up as rounds came spewing out of the guns.

They fired symmetrically from left and right wings, but each wing fired a different gun each time, so the muzzle blasts would stutter from one gun to the next. The shells were yellow orange tracers with a brilliant wavey effect to them, and each tracer left behind it a very subtle white trail of smoke, an awesome experience. Ken flew the P-51 onto its back and continued to fire. Meanwhile Graham pointed out to me the golden shell cases being ejected out from ports underneath the wing. Fantastic.

I had been talking to Graham and he told me about some of the special effects they had incorporated when firing the guns onto various surfaces. To demonstrate Ken crashed the invulnerable P-51 into a lake and opened fire. Spouts of water shot into the air and fell back down. On the lake surface the water rippled, shimmered and swirled and slowly dissipated, it was very nicely done.

I must have been at the B-17 booth an hour and a half when Dominic and Andrew Walrond appeared. Graham introduced me to them and we shook hands, unfortunately I didn't meet Iain Howe.

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Ken wanted to demonstrated the high fidelity flight model Wayward had introduced. He was flying in a formation of three B-17's and was the lead aircraft. Switching to the right waist gunner positon, he aimed the machine gun at the engine furthest left on one of the B-17's in the formation and opened fire.

I noticed a wicked grin on his face (I would'nt want to be around in a multiplayer session with him on the end of a 0.50). The B-17's left engine caught fire and began to trail thick black smoke. Ken then aimed at its vertical tail and rudder. The damage graphics were not in place at ECTS but Graham and Ken explained that scars would appear around the aircraft, fuel tanks in the wings, spars and other structures would become visible in the event of damage and that the damage model was dynamic, so damage would happen where the aircraft was hit and would be visible there also.

As Ken shot at the B-17's rudder I knew its A.I pilot was fighting for control of the aircraft, because I saw the ailerons reach full deflection as he suddenly applied full right stick. His attempts were in vain as the B-17 veered to the left and fell out of formation. It fell away behind us and passed from our right to left, still banking, heading for the ground.

"Imagine flying in a formation of B-17's in multiplayer with friends in other aircraft, and having one fall out of formation due to damage like that...!" were Grahams remarks. He was right, the prospect was very exciting. Thinking about it sent a shiver down my spine, it would be awesome.

Go to Part V: Flight Models