FastCargo

Not that I'm aware of. There is a small program called UMC2 that can read and display SMALL .LOD files (like for weapons). But the maker hasn't updated it in a LONG time. If those who make MAX files can also export into ASE format, there are a few free/shareware programs that can read and display that format...it even keeps the animations. FC

There is no importer...LOD files cannot be directly imported into MAX. FC

The assumption is he's talking about the game engine. The answer is...no...you could be painted in Hello Kitty and the sim engine wouldn't notice you any quicker. FC

Dels, thanks for this...great for modern crew aircraft! FC

I couldn't help it...after all the puke I've been dealing with lately, I figured I'd share the love... Now back to the screenshots! FC

The only time I fly with a keyboard is during aircraft or weapons testing that doesn't involve handling. FC

Like I cared...I couldn't get rid of my zoombag stuff fast enough. FC

Even me in body paint and nothing else? FC

BTDT. FC

Well, according to the same sources you have available, they are currently in low rate production for Korea, with several other nations (including the USAF) expressing interest. FC

I suspect you are correct. I saw the initial photos when they came out, and other than someone thinking they might have copyright (I don't think so), there wasn't anything I saw that would have given me pause. Bullethead, you are WAAAY too intelligent to be a grunt...very well written sir. Okay, my points here: This quote... I think that though this is a nice ideal, very rarely will it last through the first time there is a competition for something that is scarce but necessary. An example is what if your child needed a particular cancer treatment, but your neighbor's child needed the same thing, and there was only so much that can go around...and there isn't enough. Just how far would you go to let your child live one more day? Now imagine its food, or water. Do we all die together, or do you do what you need to do to let your child live longer? Notice I haven't said anything about your own life or well being. Civilization and civilized behavior is easy when resources are plentiful or at least adequate...or you don't know that there is more out there. And I hate to say it, but just in trivial things, we fail the civilized behavior test (sometimes called the prisoner's dilemma) every day. Don't believe me? For anyone who drives in heavy traffic, where 3 lanes can neck down to 2, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Traffic would be faster overall if everyone blended into the remaining lanes early with minimal speed loss. But that's not what happens, is it? Instead, people bunch up at the 'neck' of the lane closure, because the folks in the closing lane can get that much more ahead if they go to the neck...which causes all the traffic that merged early to get slowed way down...causing a backup. Wasted fuel, wasted time due to slowing down and speeding back up. Also, it can be argued that competition betters us as a species. And who decides what is considered greed or not? Certainly, events at either side of the spectrum are pretty easy to define as being disgustingly greedy vs being totally altruistic. But what about the big, grey area in the middle? Going back to the cancer treatment. Let's say person A makes decent money and is able to afford good health insurance to get treatment quickly and regularly for their child stricken with cancer. Person B on the other hand doesn't make much above minimum wage, and so must wait longer and/or get treatment less regularly than person A. Now, if you have a universal health care system, both person A and person B get the same treatment, which results in a downgrade for person A and an upgrade for person B. In addition, person A now has to pay more taxes...in effect, he pays more money for less care. Is that fair to person A? Does an answer in the negative mean person B's child is worth less? (btw, this is not an excuse to start a debate on health care...just an example). You get the idea...I will posulate again that civilization and civilized behavior are easy as long as there isn't competition for scarce resources. This also comes down to the conflict of 'nature vs nurture'. What has a bigger influence on a person's behavior...how they are 'wired' or their enviroment/circumstances from birth to the present? The truth is somewhere in the middle...with cases of one directly affecting the other. We can sit here and make fun of the folks who did that to the A340, but how exactly were they brought up, from birth to the time of the accident? How many influences were out there that could have prevented this accident by just planting a seed of a different way of thinking? I have a fairly unique perspective in that I've taught folks how to fly my aircraft from a VERY wide variety of backgrounds, from a Pakistani MiG-15 pilot to a Indian Su-30MKI pilot, from a Coast Guard C-130 pilot to a F-22 pilot, from a brand new Japanese student who doesn't have his wings yet, to a Space Shuttle pilot with thousands of hours. Universally, I've seem the more informed/read someone is, the more tolerant they seem to be of differing viewpoints. Note I didn't say smart, wealthy, or worldly...I've noticed that those qualities have less influence than you might think on viewing things from multiple perspectives. Also, that doesn't mean they don't have strong opinions on certain subjects (everyone has their 'buttons' or 'baggage') they just tend to not to be concerned if someone doesn't share their viewpoint on a particular subject...and can even be influenced with reasonable discourse. Finally, shared experience counts for a lot in relating to other folks. 'I feel your pain' doesn't really mean dick unless you've been there and done that...especially in situations where you've 'faced the elephant'. FC

Can you be more specific? FC

I've got Win7 build 7100, Vista SP1, and XP MCE SP4 (all 32 bit) installed on the same machine. I definitely like Win7 over Vista...it seems way faster in terms of the GUI and boot...in fact, it even boots faster than XP. Only reason I haven't outright jumped ship is because it is a RC with a limited time license. XP in terms of frame rate (for ThirdWire sims) is overall the best...although the Graphics frame rate is highest, the actual Sim frame rate (ie what the sim is pushing to the to the GPU) is actually higher for Vista/Win7 than for XP. I suspect Vista/Win7 are making better use of the dual cores than XP does. Definitely digging Win7. FC

I'll do better than that: http://www.amazon.com/American-Secret-Proj...pd_bxgy_b_img_c I have a few other books in this series...fascinating reading. Don't ever assume you're as well read as you think you are...there are always more sources out there that can be missed. I should know...I still keep finding stuff I've never heard of... FC

Yep, thanks there KB...you da man...your work has helped me port my projects over to SF2. FC

Storm, You could wait for the later model B-52G and H models to be released... FC

Actually, I have at least one book that has the McD line drawings AND McD artists conceptions of that aircraft in service when they pitched the idea. A bit more than a scribbled drawing on a desk. FC

Can I get an AMEN? FC

Ick. Not a phantom phanboy...but, ick. FC

That's what it is...easy avionics allows you to fire on the ground. Still not completely sold on the idea...but I've got a testbed in mind. FC

If anyone is offended, they need to seriously lighten up! FC

Uh, what exactly does that taste like there JM? FC

Wrong version of the weapons editor. Do a search and you'll find the answer. FC

Nope, I've got better hair. FC

Most pilots I know tend to view the terms exactly as Streched said...mach tuck and accelerated stall. Speaking of mach tuck, you can get into it in the stock TW B-57 pretty easily...which makes perfect sense... Fubar's solution is pretty much right on the nose...you've got to slow down... FC