On the RetroRocket factory floor, while I try to figure out the texture problem on the Starfighter, here's the fall-back: Also from the Buck Rogers TV series, Hawkman's Warhawk...
Sorry, FSX Acceleration.. But if there is a FS9 developer out there that uses Blender, I would happily send them the blender file so they could do a FS9 version.
I don't know if a FSX MDL file would work in FS9. The Blender file, before being exported as a ".x" file could be used in either sim, provided there is a "Blender to FS9" Blender plugin or a .blend to GMax converter. Also, any time the model file is altered, I'm pretty sure a new UV unwrap for the texture has to be generated. But I could wrong.