FSElite’s live coverage of FlightSimExpo 2026 continues with Combat Pilot’s presentation.
Combat Pilot is a brand new, high-fidelity combat flight simulator set during World War II, with a focus on the Pacific Air War.
To kick off the presentation, the developers discussed how Combat Pilot is being built with a focus on realism, using real engineering data and documentation for every aircraft, system, and environment.
At the heart of the simulator sits a multi-threaded, deterministic, modular, and comprehensive physics engine that the developer calls Entropy FM. It relies on empirical and experimental models like NACA reports, DATCOM, and AVL to create a CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) flight model. Real performance data and test-pilot reports were also used to further validate the experience.
Combat Pilot: Carrier Qualification and future DLCs
Frits Mosselman, Project Manager at Combat Pilot took the stage to talk about Combat Pilot: Carrier Qualification, which is the first title for the Combat Pilot Series. In a similar vein to DCS, the Combat Pilot base game will be available for free to all users from day 1. It features a demo mode including the F4F-3 airplane, the Midway Map, Quick Mission Builder Singleplayer Mode, and Guns & Ordinance.
Carrier Qualification, the first purchasable content package, includes the F4F-4 and A6M2 “Zeke” airplanes alongside the carriers Enterprise and Akagi. All of the aircraft models in the simulator feature clickable cockpits, Bombs, complex fuel management with drop tanks, ammo belts, 3D Spatial Audio, and VR support.
At approximately the same time as the Carrier Qualification release, two collector planes will be available for purchase, the B-17E Flying Fortress and the A6M2-N “Rufe.” The developers are excited because “these planes are extremely rare in the simming universe, at least when it comes to being able to use them in combat situations.”
The B-17 will start life with the flight deck fully modelled, and it’s the developer’s intention to model all crew positions for it over the course of time.
As for the A6M2-N, the developer has already implemented water landings, building the groundwork (or waterwork) for future seaplanes and flying boats.
Following these big releases, Combat Pilot’s next module will be Wake Island followed by the Solomon Islands.
Combat Pilot: Release Timeline
The free base game, Carrier Qualification, and Collector planes are all scheduled to be released simultaneously in Q1 2027.
While earlier announcements mentioned 2026, the team decided to postpone the release date to spend more time building the basic infrastructure to support Multiplayer Gameplay. As Carlos stated “We originally intended to add it [Multiplayer] much later, but that would immensely complicate the technical implementation, and the longer we wait, the worse it gets.”
While Multiplayer will not be part of the initial release, the development time will be reduced significantly as a result of the team’s current efforts.
However, the developer stated” Carrier Qualification will offer way more in return. Ballistics modelling, damage models, guns, and ordinance will all be integrated into the initial release, which wasn’t originally planned.”
For more information on Combat Pilot, click here to head over to the website.
