The long awaited sucessor to the massively popular IL-2 Sturmovik series is still in progress and will be released no later than 2010. In an ongoing forum thread on the 1c Publishing forums, IL-2 Series programming legend and 1C: Maddox Games founder Oleg Maddox has confirmed that a new version of the WWII flight sim will be released next year.

IL-2 Sturmovik was released in 2001 and followed by a series of addons and sequels, the most recent of which is the IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 compilation pack which hit the shops in December 2006. Aside from a console spin-off, there has been little news on any sucessor. Apart from on hidden corners of forums, updates on the new game, tentatively titled Storm of War: Battle of Britain, have been few and far between despite it being officially announced over three years ago in May 2006.

However things have been steadily heating up in the forum thread with Oleg making regular appearances adding news and screenshots with new fantastic looking aircraft and scenery on show. The latest of these updates included pictures of Spitfires, Stukas and other aircraft which appear to have some seriously impressive detail, damage modelling and reflections. Images of the game being worked on in the studio showed new models for pilots, buildings and bombs.

Even more impressive is the scenery with trees clearly having received a massive make over, improved scenery in general and more realistic shadows. If these screenshots are to be believed then the final game should look stunning as well as giving flight sim fans something new to play for a change next year. Looking forward to a proper new PC flight-sim? Or is the genre even relevant any more? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.