Yesterday evening command of the Sabre-rattling 12th FBS squadron passed to Major Furnace Amberwick after Major Terence Torrance, my alter aero for much of the past week, failed to return from a bomber interception mission near Old Baldy. The fact that Torrance wasn’t killed by MiGs or flak, but perished in a mid-air collision, is revealing. Right now a number of factors conspire to make career-mode sorties in the eminently likeable, exceptionally handsome Korea IL-2 less dangerous and less exciting than they could be.

According to Steam I’ve spent sixteen hours with Korea IL-2 so far. During that time I believe I’ve downed just three swept-wing interceptors. This meagre tally of MiG-15s and F-86s is partly a consequence of play choices (Much of my time has been spent flying the history-smothered Mustang and Shooting Star-focused ‘Home by Christmas’ scripted campaign) and partly down to a lack of practice (it’s a while since I last combat flightsimmed in earnest), but it also reflects just how difficult it is to kill small, swift, nimble jets using nothing but nose-mounted MGs and autocannons.