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Pilots!
Update 2.1.41 will introduce two brand-new reward aircraft:
Heinkel He 177 GreifHeinkel He 177 Greif was a long-range heavy bomber developed for the Luftwaffe over multiple years, starting in 1936. From its inception, the requirements posed to the He 177 made design work and production very difficult, and in some cases, outright impossible. The two-engine configuration was needed to reduce propeller drag and improve speed and range characteristics, but Germany had no engines of the required power and thrust to support that. Eventually, Heinkel's chief designer Siegfried Günter opted for the DB 606 "engine system"—essentially, two DB 601 engines paired in a single unit, driving a shared propeller shaft. Later, it was updated for the DB 610, based on paired DB 605s. Mid-development, RLM introduced a requirement for the He 177 to be able to perform dive bombing (and even reinforced it later by increasing the dive angle), which necessitated long and costly changes to the airframe in order to allow for that. These, and a multitude of other changes and technical constraints, led to the Greif entering production rather late in the war. It saw limited operations on the Eastern Front, notably flying transport sorties to Stalingrad and conducting a raid on the Velikiye Luki railway hub, and had limited participation on the Western Front with Operation Steinbock, the last German strategic bombing raid of World War II.
In World of Warplanes, the Heinkel He 177 Greif is a Tier VI heavy bomber capable of carrying six 500 kg bombs that reload quite quickly for their caliber. It has relatively good speed characteristics for a bomber, enabling it to traverse the battlefield and relocate between targets effectively. The Greif is very well defended: its armament includes 20-mm autocannon positions fore and aft, two dorsal 13 millimeter machinegun turrets, another 13-mm MG-131 facing downwards to the rear, and a 7.92 machinegun in the cockpit for further protection forwards.
Fiat G.55 CentauroFiat G.55 Centauro was built around the RA.1050 R.C.58 Tifone engine, a licensed version of the widely popular Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine that was known for its power and reliability. The armament was rather traditional for fighters of the World War II era, combining two wing-mounted 20 mm autocannons and two 12.7 mm machine guns. From the first test flights, the G.55 showed great promise, proving to be powerful, fast, and reliable. It attracted the attention of Luftwaffe engineers and officers, who took the Fiat G.55, alongside its sibling and rival the Reggiane Re.2005, for a trial against the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-4 and Focke-Wulf 190 A-5, both staples of German fighter aviation. Both Italian contenders showed excellent results, keeping up and even outperforming their German counterparts. The G.55 showed the greatest promise, both performing admirably at lower altitudes and maintaining great speed, rate of climb, and outperforming German fighters in maneuverability. It earned the title of the "best Axis fighter" from one of the German commission's senior members. The Centauro was slated to start mass production both in Germany and at several Italian aircraft factories, but various manufacturing setbacks (including Allied bombings of Italian production sites) severely limited the G.55's presence on the battlefield. It regularly and successfully clashed with the best Allied fighters up until the Armistice. In later years, the Fiat G.55 received multiple upgrades and modifications and served in Italy, Argentina, Egypt, and Syria.
In World of Warplanes, the Fiat G.55 Centauro is a Tier VII fighter with characteristically strong speed and rate of climb characteristics, making it especially effective in vertical maneuvers. It is noticeably heavier than most of its counterparts, so horizontal maneuvering is not its main forte. However, added mass makes the Centauro more stable, resulting in good accuracy for the cannons, great acceleration and handling in dive, as well as good energy retention and a powerful boost, making it a master of boom-and-zoom tactics.
To earn these aircraft, you'll need to participate in the upcoming game events.
A new Armory supply crate has been added, which will become available for purchase at a later date.
We have added a new unique pilot. The details will be provided at a later date.
New paint schemes have been added for the following aircraft:
Paint scheme characteristics:
These paint schemes will become available in future Premium Shop offers and as rewards during events.
We added a new emblem dedicated to the 13th anniversary of World of Warplanes. You can receive it by participating in the upcoming event.
