Flight sim fans rejoice. We know we said this last time but in a surprise announcement over on the 1C official forum, the sequel to one of the best flight sims ever made has been given a release date. 1C: Maddox Games claims the game will be out on 25 March - just in time for some serious Easter dogfighting.

In a new trailer, there's evidence of plenty of DX10 and DX11 eye candy, with some superb-looking water effects, trees and aircraft models, although it does look very similar to the original in places.

Here's a little more from the post on 1C's forum:

The World famous IL-2 Sturmovik series of flight simulators roars over Britain. 1C Company and Ubisoft announced that IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover (for PC) will take off in March 2011. IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover is the latest instalment in the acclaimed IL-2 Sturmovik series from award-winning developer 1C: Maddox Games.

IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover takes place in 1940 during the pivotal aerial battle for the skies over Britain between the British, the German and the Italian air forces.
Key Features:

• New aircraft - Incredibly detailed true-to-life modeling of aircraft systems based on thousands of hours of dedicated research. Every single aircraft component can be damaged for realistic and immensely satisfying results:
  
  1. Flyable aircraft – Over a dozen famous and highly detailed English, German and Italian aircraft available, with all crew positions open to players. All flyable aircraft have been painstakingly researched, resulting in incredibly accurate cockpit interiors (including Spitfire, Hurricane, Messerschmitt and the Stuka).
  
  2. Non-flyable aircraft – 13 AI-controlled additional aircraft are also available to allow an even more accurate and immersive experience thanks to a varied aircraft.
  
  
• Immersive game modes:
  
  1. Exciting Single-Player Campaign – The campaign thrusts the player into the middle of the battle. The player will join the British Air Force to fight the German forces and renegade pilots on his own side, or join the German Luftwaffe and take part in meticulously recreated historical battles.
  
  2. Massive multiplayer – Customisable modes range from simple deathmatch-style free-for-alls to epic, ongoing 128 player battles that can last hours, days, weeks, or even longer.
  
  3. Interactive training – Comprehensive interactive training for new players – fly a real WWII trainer plane with a computer-controlled instructor through a series of training missions.
  
  
• Brand new setting – The battle will take place on a large area spanning London and southern England in the North, to Northern France and Belgium in the South. The huge map will contain thousands of historical cities, towns, roads, airfields, radar stations, ports and industrial areas – all located exactly where they were in 1940.
  
  
• New 3D engine – Latest-gen graphics engine with DX10 and DX11 API support. Huge variety of photorealistic ground vehicles, buildings and other environmental elements recreate minute details of 1940s Europe.
  
  
• Customisable difficulty – dozens of realism options allow newcomers to the franchise to reduce the difficulty and focus on the fun while learning the ropes of being a pilot.
  
  1C and Ubisoft also announced that IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover will be available in a special Collector’s Edition, along-side the standalone version. This Collector’s Edition features the following collection of exclusive pilot material assets in a premium packaging:
  
  
• The Windows PC version of IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover
  
  
• A cloth pilot escape map showing The Battle of Britain strategic locations
  
  
• A replica of the Pilot’s Notes on the Spitfire I Aeroplane, provided to RAF pilots during The Battle of Britain and reprinted from the RAF Museum original document
  
  
• An in-depth 150-page ring binder pilot instructions

Assuming the release date stated on Ubisoft's website is to be believed, you can expect a review in just nine weeks.

As always, let us know your thoughts in the forums.