B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th
Encyclopedia
B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty 8th is the sequel
to the 1992 flight simulator
B-17 Flying Fortress World War II Bombers in Action developed by Wayward Design
and sold by MicroProse
owned by Hasbro
in 2000. It was released in the United States
onDecember 13, 2000. It was designed for the Windows 9x
series of operating systems, but is also compatible with Windows 2000
and Windows XP
.
The sequel had much improved graphics for Intel Pentium III and AMD Athlon processors and added fairly realistic but slightly simplified Norden Bombsight
/navigation
procedures and operation as well as Pilot and Copilot controls in the combat flight simulation. Other Allied or Axis aircraft like the P-38, P-51
, P-47, Bf-109, FW-190 or Me 262 could be flown as well. The emphasis in this simulation was on successful B-17 Flying Fortress aircrew
training and skill improvement, successful navigation
, survival from enemy Flak batteries as well as Luftwaffe
fighters, and correctly and accurately bombing the right target (aiming point
) and making it back to the home base airfield through a simulated tour of duty
in the Eighth Air Force
.
Since this simulation is complex, only one squadron
or two squadrons of B-17 bombers could be featured, rather than an entire group or even wings of bombers in aerial combat box
formations. Fighters were few in number. This was in stark contrast to MicroProse
's earlier European Air War
, which featured large number of aircraft in flight. One of the faults with this simulation is that multiplayer game
play on the Internet
was not added, though it was planned at one time, and the printed manual (or later a PDF file), and the simulation was developed under time and monetary constraints so some other planned features and improvements were missing from the original software release. The game shipped with a handy two-sided color reference chart detailing the layouts of the aircraft
cockpit
s instruments and controls of different military aircraft
in addition to displaying control keys for the players computer keyboard.
The software also was sold later on in a three-pack of MicroProse simulations which also included GUNSHIP! (2000) and European Air War (1998).In addition the software is still available through a couple of websites as a download. B-17 Flying Fortress The Mighty 8th had several software patches
later on to fix issues with the simulation and the he game's support community at Bombs-Away.net created other add ons, fixes and had tutorials and discussion groups on their Internet forum
. The game is very similar in its gameplay to the original B-17 Flying Fortress simulation except that the controls are a lot more detailed, complicated and realistic in addition to the vastly improved computer graphics
and multimedia
sound effects(with support for Aureal A3D
driver sound). The sequel even has a decent emulated Norden Bombsight
which features synchronization and drift. B-17 Flying Fortress The Mighty 8th is also very difficult for a novice or average player and takes a lot of time to master.
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the 1992 flight simulator
Flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
B-17 Flying Fortress World War II Bombers in Action developed by Wayward Design
Wayward Design
Wayward Design was a United Kingdom-based computer game development company.Wayward was founded by Dominic Robinson and Andrew Walrond in 1994, and was based in Bristol.The company was purchased outright by Rage Software in 2000.-External links:...
and sold by MicroProse
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
owned by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
in 2000. It was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
onDecember 13, 2000. It was designed for the Windows 9x
Windows 9x
Windows 9x is a generic term referring to a series of Microsoft Windows computer operating systems produced since 1995, which were based on the original and later modified Windows 95 kernel...
series of operating systems, but is also compatible with Windows 2000
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
and Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
.
The game
Norden bombsight
The Norden bombsight was a tachometric bombsight used by the United States Army Air Forces and the United States Navy during World War II, and the United States Air Force in the Korean and the Vietnam Wars to aid the crew of bomber aircraft in dropping bombs accurately...
/navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
procedures and operation as well as Pilot and Copilot controls in the combat flight simulation. Other Allied or Axis aircraft like the P-38, P-51
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, P-47, Bf-109, FW-190 or Me 262 could be flown as well. The emphasis in this simulation was on successful B-17 Flying Fortress aircrew
Aircrew
Aircrew are the personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of the crew depends on the type of aircraft as well as the purpose of the flight.-Civilian:*Aviator** Pilot-in-command** First officer** Second officer** Third officer...
training and skill improvement, successful navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
, survival from enemy Flak batteries as well as Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
fighters, and correctly and accurately bombing the right target (aiming point
Aiming point
In field artillery, the accuracy of indirect fire depends on the use of aiming points. In air force terminology the aiming point refers to holding the intersection of the cross hairs on a bombsight when fixed at a specific target....
) and making it back to the home base airfield through a simulated tour of duty
Tour of duty
In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
in the Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
.
Since this simulation is complex, only one squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
or two squadrons of B-17 bombers could be featured, rather than an entire group or even wings of bombers in aerial combat box
Combat box
The Combat box was a tactical formation used by heavy bombers of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. The combat box was also referred to as a "staggered formation"...
formations. Fighters were few in number. This was in stark contrast to MicroProse
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
's earlier European Air War
European Air War
European Air War is a combat flight simulation released by MicroProse in 1998. European Air War is the sequel to 1942: The Pacific Air War by Microprose. The stock standard version simulates the Battle of Britain, and the Allied Air offensives in Western Europe during the Second World War in 1943-45...
, which featured large number of aircraft in flight. One of the faults with this simulation is that multiplayer game
Multiplayer game
A multiplayer video game is one which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time. Unlike most other games, computer and video games are often single-player activities that put the player against preprogrammed challenges and/or AI-controlled opponents, which often...
play on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
was not added, though it was planned at one time, and the printed manual (or later a PDF file), and the simulation was developed under time and monetary constraints so some other planned features and improvements were missing from the original software release. The game shipped with a handy two-sided color reference chart detailing the layouts of the aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
s instruments and controls of different military aircraft
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
in addition to displaying control keys for the players computer keyboard.
The software also was sold later on in a three-pack of MicroProse simulations which also included GUNSHIP! (2000) and European Air War (1998).In addition the software is still available through a couple of websites as a download. B-17 Flying Fortress The Mighty 8th had several software patches
Patch (computing)
A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...
later on to fix issues with the simulation and the he game's support community at Bombs-Away.net created other add ons, fixes and had tutorials and discussion groups on their Internet forum
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
. The game is very similar in its gameplay to the original B-17 Flying Fortress simulation except that the controls are a lot more detailed, complicated and realistic in addition to the vastly improved computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
and multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
sound effects(with support for Aureal A3D
A3D
A3D was a technology developed by Aureal Semiconductor for use in their Vortex line of PC sound chips to deliver three-dimensional sound through headphones, two or even four speakers. The technology used head-related transfer functions , which the human ear interprets as spatial cues indicating...
driver sound). The sequel even has a decent emulated Norden Bombsight
Norden bombsight
The Norden bombsight was a tachometric bombsight used by the United States Army Air Forces and the United States Navy during World War II, and the United States Air Force in the Korean and the Vietnam Wars to aid the crew of bomber aircraft in dropping bombs accurately...
which features synchronization and drift. B-17 Flying Fortress The Mighty 8th is also very difficult for a novice or average player and takes a lot of time to master.
See also
- Aircraft PowerpackAircraft PowerpackAircraft Powerpack is a Windows-based flight simulation add on package created by Shockwave Productions,Inc. and released in 2006.It combines Shockwave Productions earlier Firepower add on but comes with a Wings of Power P-51 add on that has been modified to work in Firepower with Wings of...
- Firepower
- Wings of Power WWII Heavy Bombers and JetsWings of Power: WWII Heavy Bombers and JetsWings of Power WWII Heavy Bombers and Jets is a video game of the flight simulation genre released in 2004 as an add on to enhance Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004.Wings of Power adds vintage historical military aircraft to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004.Wings of Power also adds 50 missions with...