Based in the Western European Theater of WWII, players will be able to fly for either the Allies or the Axis Powers in one of 14 accurately rendered aircraft, including the American B-17 and the German Fw-190. Every plane has been faithfully recreated, from the tail flaps on the wings down to the dials and gauges in the cockpit. The planes will also feature a very detailed damage system that tracks what kind of damage you've been taking, so bullets and shrapnel will leave holes in very accurate places. Each aircraft will also be made up of several different components, so if you take enough damage to your wings, they'll fall off and you'll go into a nice little tailspin.

Most missions will have you flying over low-lying targets, like factories or convoys, and going on strafing runs and tactical bombings. The ground attacks will mostly be in the western part of France and Germany, while the sea warfare will shift over to the English Channel and the Northern Sea.

Mad Doc has gone above and beyond when it comes to the terrain; they've rendered over 1 million square miles with high-res textures and accurate height elevation, all for reality's sake. You'll fly over detailed towns and villages, and come across some battles and targets that were part of the actual war.

There's never a dull moment in the friendly skies, so expect the campaign mode to last you a while; missions vary from a quick "search and destroy" to drawn out "patrol and intercept". For those of you with a lot of free time, you can even fly from waypoint to waypoint in real time, and test your piloting skills as well as your ergonomics. An 8 player dog-fighting mode is also available, and training and solo missions will help you round out your skills.

Jane's Attack Squadron has been on the back burner for some time now, here's hoping that the extra tweaking has paid off when it's released in mid-2002.

· · · Red Terrier