In the current state of VRChat Aviation, it has become increasingly rare for me to find new and exciting experiences that hook me to it like the old worlds used to. With certain authors stopping work on their projects, or others just taking ages with their creative endeavors, finding that one gemstone that outshines the classic worlds is now harder than ever. That was my opinion, at least until I finally found a world worth visiting.
Straying away from the jets and most conventional flight world themes, White Cliffs; Battle of Britain by Mia is a world that brought back some of those feelings I used to have. Feelings of excitement and the thrill of flight that I missed from a VRChat world. Let's talk about this experience for a bit and how it helped me see the great side of VRC Aviation again.
The one clear aspect that defines this world is its time period, which is set during the Battle of Britain in the early stages of World War II. It takes place in what seems to be a miniaturized version of the Straight of Dover, which is part of the English Channel; this miniaturization was done so that the map could fit within the bounds of a regular VRChat world.
Plane selection in the world is very much on point for the era. There are two main fighters, the classic Spitfire Mk.1a and the Bf-109E-3, a British twin engine in the form of the Westland Whirlwind, a German bomber in the He-111 and a unique plane in the form of the Fairey Swordfish. Most of the action is usually between the Spitfires and Messerschmitts, but the added variety is very welcome.
There is also an additional vehicle, the R-41 Gunboat and an emplaced 40mm Bofors cannon, which is usually in range of most dogfights as long as they are near the harbor area.
While these two vehicles could seem to be odd choices, it is hard to not justify their addition. Vehicles like the patrol boat are usually simpler to make in VRC, since the prefabs are not as complicated and a lot of stuff can be carried over from the samples without major modifications. As for the Bofors, the addition of flak rounds was very nice.
The aircraft handle wonderfully, with the two highlights being the Spitfire and the BF-109. Both felt extremely responsive, with noticeable torque on takeoff, making piloting them a much more engaging experience.
The Spitfire's maneuverability is on point, performing in the way I would from an early-war, elliptical-wing version of the aircraft. It turns beautifully, its engine responds quickly and doesn't leave the pilot wanting for more, aside from its lack of cannons. You have a full set of .303 machine guns, 8 of them in total, that are nothing but peashooters.
The BF-109E-3, being an early-war version of the famous Messerschmitt, handles like a dream. Its engine is capable, with a lot of torque, just like the Spitfire's, and its maneuverability is on point. Speaking of maneuverability, I have found that the aircraft might be over-performing just a little when considering that you are fighting an early-war Spitfire with its full elliptical wing. Historically the Bf-109E-3 was able to outclimb both Spitfires and Hurricanes, it lacked just a bit in maneuverability when compared to its contemporary adversaries.
You can keep up with Spitfires in almost every turn, and you do much more damage to your adversary thanks to the addition of the wing-mounted 20mm cannons that this version historically carried. Its loadout of two 20mm and two 7.92mm guns leaves you with an advantage in firepower compared to every aircraft in the world, except for the Whirlwind's quad-20mm mounts.
All the aircraft are excellent, with their own unique quirks. The 111 has multicrew slots and can unleash its bombs on the British open-air hangars, the Whirlwind feels heavy but packs a punch and the Swordfish is just fun to fly off of the deck of the carrier.
Overall, this world is one worth visiting either in public instances or, preferably, with a group of friends. To test this world more thoroughly, I decided to invite some friends to test it together, but I kept the instance open for anyone to join. By the end of the night we had more than a dozen people in the world, and all the aircraft were taken and flying, except for one of the 111s. We all had a blast flying and fighting one another.
Give this world a try, you will not regret it.
About the writer
Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000s, leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities, but only started being active around the mid 2010s. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as the co-founder and writer ever since. Twitter | Discord: Cubeboy
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