Papajohns,
I think you are working on neat things but as I progress in building units for advanced CIV3 applications, I can clearly see that the methods you are using are going to result in you being totally frustrated in the long run.
CIV3 is a bit different from previous game engines because the units are rendered in 3D. The interplay of shading, lighting, and shadow goes a long way to making a neat idea into a convincing set of unit animations.
I would strongly recommend that you detour a bit and download the Moray wire frame modeling program and then the POvRay rendering program to convert your models into more realistic unit graphics.
These programs will work great for aircraft models which is obviously where your interests lie.
It will take you a little bit of time to learn how to build a realistic model of your airplanes by assembling cylinders, bezier shapes, and toruses but in the end the results will not even be in the same league where you are currently playing around.
You will be able to dow shadows, banks, rolls, loads and unloads, hatch openings, airdrops, .... you name it and it all awaits you just around the next bend.
Moray is free to download and use for 30 days to learn and evaluate the process and then if you decide to keep using it it only costs about $70US and this is a real bargain.
I am focusing here on the positive aspects of these choices because it would be nice to have you join us on this wireframe modeling plane of unit design and I think that in the end you will be much, much, much happier with your results.
Good luck and let me know if you get the software downloaded so I can help you get the first several wireframe models up to your standards.