IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover announced

The latest entry in the IL-2 Sturmovik aerial combat sim series, subtitled Cliffs of Dover, will take off on 25th March for PC, publisher Ubisoft has confirmed.

Developed by series staple 1C: Maddox Games, Cliffs of Dover takes place during the Battle of Britain in 1940, putting you behind the goggles of a plucky RAF ace as he attempts to chase Hitler's goons out of UK airspace. Tally ho, chocks away etc.

Cliffs of Dover features over a dozen flyable planes, alongside a further 12 AI-controlled aircraft. As well as the single player campaign, there's also a bevy of multiplayer options planned, with support for epic 128-player battle royales promised. The trailer below should tell you a little bit more.

Ubisoft has also announced a special Collectors' Edition of the game will be available exclusively from its online store, including the following swag:

• 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.

The last game in the IL-2 Sturmovik series, Birds of Prey launched on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2009, scoring a relatively high-flying 7/10 from Eurogamer's Dan Whitehead.

There's no word yet on whether Cliffs of Dover will eventually see a console release.