Okay, so my model is finished. The P-38 of the tutorial, and I am trying to get it into the game. The thing is that I designed it in co-ordination with the Stupid Idiot's guide, and the latter does not sufficiently cover how LODs work  , and the hierarchy basically. I'm not sure what to name the parts, I have named them according to the Gmax SDK and Makemdl SDK. 

Please can someone tell me how to link the parts, roughly? I linked the parts the following way so far:

HOW DO I LINK THESE PROPERLY!?!?
Engine_0
Engine_1
Fuselage
Gear Bay 1                    --------> (left gearbay flap 1)
Gear bay 2                    -------->  (left gearbay flap 2)
Gearbay Nose               -------> (nose gearbay flap 1)
Gearbay Nose 2            -------> (nose gearbay flap 2)
Gearbay r1                    -------> (right gearbay flap 1)
Gearbay r2                     ------> (right gearbay flap 2)
L_gear_1                     --------> leftgear Upper  strut
     - L_gear_2             --------> leftgear Lower  strut
            - L_gear_3       -------> Strut-Tire link
                 - L_tire_still
                 - L_tire blurred
r_gear_1                        ---------->rightgear Upper strut
   r_gear_2                    ----------->rightGear Lower  strut
      r_gear_3                 ----------> Strut-Tire link
          l_tire_still
               l_tire blurred
Noseg_1                         ---------> Nosegear  Upper strut
    -Noseg_2                   ---------->NoseGear Lower  strut
         -Noseg_3             ---------->  Strut-Tire link
              - C_tire_still
              -C tire blurred
Propeller_0_still
Propeller_0_blurred
Propeller_0_slow
Propeller_1_still
Propeller_1_blurred
Propeller_1_slow
tail ----------------------->P-38's single horizontal stabiliser
tail_l   -------------------> left vertical stabiliser
tail_r --------------------> Right vertical stabiliser
wing_l
wing_r

Also, I have animated the struts to compress, and the gear to retract, and the gearbay doors to open and close. the frames as follows:

20-120 = Nosegear extends
0-100 = Gearbay doors open
100-200 = left and right landing gear extend
200-300 = struts compress

I'm not sure whether i'm allowed that many frames for FS2004? And do you need to do anything special for these animations to appear in game?  ???


That's it. So how to link them properly... and how could I get this thing airborne quickest?

Another problem, which side is left from   the front. As in, on which side would l_wing be in the front viewport. And is it necessary to first texture the aircraft before being able to fly it in FS2004? I just want to see it, rough as it is, in the game because that would encourage me HUGELY  .

Frames 0-100 cover gear extension.  101-200 gear compression.

TAIL parts are not animation tags.

tail ----------------------->elevator
tail_l   -------------------> rudder
tail_r --------------------> rudder.1


Make sure you read the makemdl (and other) SDK  documentation that contain the grits.  Remember that the available tutorials are starters.

For gmax LOD - check out the Curtiss Jenny sample aircraft and see how its done there.