[matsher]

Punching your resolution in the configuration file doesn't do it? I have a 4:3 physical screen ratio, but 1280x1024 is 5:4. As a result, I have a slightly wider viewing area when playing, but a slim letterbox is also present on the top and bottom.

...and you should also have your circles (cockpit gauges for ex) turn into ovals .... which is not the case if you set it to 1280*960 (4/3 ratio again)....

I think what you believe is "a wider viewing area" is in fact your image is squeezed vertically, flatened if you prefer....

That is likely the case... Although the Sans mod is a true FOV changer... No resolution tircks at all, thats what is so good about it.
He must of found a way to add or manipulate the FOV code and package it. I am not certain whether it was out of neccessity or by design,
but he certainly found a way to do it. Logically speaking it feels like he 'adds' cameras to the cockpit with a wider/user defined lens, but he seems to
be able to add any amount of cameras he wants. There are empty fields in his program that you can enter any desired angle and bind to a keyboard
key. (My joystick bindings also don't seem to work even though he says the program supports it.)

So the solution logically can be one of two routes.
1. We/someone with the skills gets into the game code and can change the actual native default angles in the 13 FOV slots or as many as desired.
2. We/Someone with the skill can write a code/mod to override the native IL2 FOVs and replace them with 'new' wider/user defined ones.

Please will someone tell us if this is possible. Or at least explain the technical challenge.
I gots ta know man