SR-71!!!

[gold dragon]

Hey peeps!

Ive completed a SR-71 model in Lightwave, and at last managed to get it into O2, but im having some problems!
Ive got all the distance LODs sorted out, as well as the land contact LOD, geometry  LOD, and Hitpoint LOD, but im having trouble with the memory LOD.
Ive looked through a few BIS and unofficial mods, but can only really make out the basics of the memory LOD (i.e. lights ), but some of it is a tad confusing (probably cos its all in chzech ) ive heard people talking about the centre of mass etc, and im not sure if this is determined by the positioning of the model is 3D space, or in the memory LOD??
Bare in mind, this is my first OFP mod, but im a 3D Artist by trade, so the actual modelling isnt a problem, but try as i might i cant find any tutorials that actualy explain the LOD section of O2.
Well heres some images of the model, anyone who fancies giving me a hand with this would be greatly appreciated!





Cheers guys,

Robsta

[asmodeus]

Hey Robsta!

GRRREAT WORK!!       ;D

I like the look of it a lot!  Great 3D modeling for sure!  

I don't know about the memory LOD, unfortunately..    

I'll ask a couple people in my Mod if they know though....  

Either way keep up the great work!

P.S.  That sucker could go across any of the islands in this game in no time at all... Like 1 second or less?  (doesn't it go mach 4 or close??)

       

[Ferret Fangs]

Officially, mach 3+, unofficially... who here is able to say, but it could probably do close to mach 4 in a shallow dive, and with a light fuel load. The problem isn't so much what the theoretical capabilities of the engines are, but what temperatures the fuselage structure and skin can withstand... heat stress and material breakdown occurs quickly at velocities greater than mach 3. The Blackbird expanded more than a third of a meter in size due to heating, at it's normal operating temperatures. Could it have survived another thousand degrees or so?
BTW, I see one of these beauties every day... there is one on static display at the AFB I work on. I literally work on the other side of the street from the display! It's really great, as this was one of my favorite planes when I was a kid.
Also, my brother is a hydraulics specialist in the USAF,  ( and for some strange reason has worked on many planes that are highly classified...) recently has seen the SR-71 in service at Edwards AFB, but due to security restrictions could not tell me anything about what they are doing theses days. Officially, they are no longer in service...

[gold dragon]

Asmodeus, LOL, yep, i think it would be able to clear the map in no time at all but i really made it as a kind of set piece, just some nice eye candy to sit on runways, or watch taking off could also do for some good downed pilot/rescue missions.
Ferret Fangs, i dont suppose you could go get some nice photos of the cockpit of the SR-71 could you? ive found a few of the "gunners" position, but havent been able to find any nice ones of the pilot controls
By the way, ive read that the latest version has been adapted to carry nuclear ordanance, either a single Tomahawk or standard bomb

[Ferret Fangs]

Well,like I said, it's just a static display. It's an actual production plane thats been gutted. So its really just the fuselage and paint scheme. Besides, you can't see into this one's cockpit as its about three-four meters above the ground and theres no ladder or platform to look from, and the windows are smoked/painted black.

This is the one I'm talking about: http://www.ab2m.net/pics/sr71/17979/


As to the cockpit, have you seen these? : http://www.sr-71.org/photogallery/blackbird/simulator/
I think its the best you'll find.

About weapons... well, the only ( Officially claimed ) capability I know of is the YF-12A which could carry the AIM-47A AAM.
"SR" are the designators for Strike/Reconnaissance, ( This was a mistake made during a public statement by Nixon referring to the plane known at that time as RS-71, but was not corrected of course, as he was the Commander In Chief. It has since been known publicly as SR-71 - true story. ) but its only publicly confirmed mission was photo recon. The most recent version is the SR-71C and is still fairly secretice in capability and equipment. The mission is still strategic photographic reconnaissance. Since the Air Force publically aknowledged the Blackbird the strike designator was used because the plane's ability for strike was in it's speed, range, and low-observability- not it's payload- as far as I know.
However, it has been speculated by some whom I trust, that the space used by the REMOVABLE camera pallets were of sufficient volume to allow for at least two B61 nuclear weapons, or two AGM-69 SRAM. I don't know for sure, because I've never seen what the interior of the empty camera bays look like, but I have seen the B61/AGM-69 nuclear weapons, and this sounds about right. It would be a useful platform in the event a cold war suddenly heated up, in my opinion.