Friday 2010-06-11 Dev. update and Discussion Thread

[David603]

Originally Posted by DoolittleRaider

First, the Spit looks fantastic!!! Superb detail and weathering.
As for serial numbering, I agree with Friendly-flyer: Serial numbers should be of the letter plus four digits until August ’41 when Spitfires began to come off the production line with serial numbers with two letter and three digits. (having run through the Z-xxxx series)
A Spitfire with the serial number 7854 was in the "P" production series, i.e. P7854. P7854 was assigned to 74 Sqdn in March ‘41, and would have carried Sqdn code letters of ZP (ZP-B or, ZP-C, or ZP-X, etc) So the skin (in SOW:BofB) could hypothetically show for example, a ZP-D P7854. Or, of course, Sailor Malan’s actual Spit, ZP-A K9953.
Also, I’ve not yet been able to find a Sqdn identified with the code letters GB. If there is a photo basis could it be posted? I’d be very interested to know the historical basis for the GB-R 2-7854 shown in the screencaptured Spit.
I'm hoping for insanely accurate historical detail in SOW:BofB.

Keep up the good work, Oleg and team!

My interpretation is that the markings system is only just being implemented into the sim now, and that the current squadron codes and serial numbers are probably just placeholders while the devs work the bugs out of the system.

It would certainly explain why GB is being used as a code on British aircraft, and the serial number 3-456 on the Spitfire in the background. Also the absence of marking on most aircraft.

[gibxxi]

Also, the aircraft serial number was of a much smaller size, and placed further back on the fuselage than is depicted in these screenshots.

But as Oleg himself stressed, these are OLDER shots and may not be representative of current work. Nonetheless awesome work, as always, thanks for sharing Oleg & team. Can't wait to fly these babies.