diff --git a/src/AIModel/AIBase.cxx b/src/AIModel/AIBase.cxx
index 40a6a2d32..e4142d90b 100644
--- a/src/AIModel/AIBase.cxx
+++ b/src/AIModel/AIBase.cxx
@@ -273,6 +273,8 @@ void FGAIBase::readFromScenario(SGPropertyNode* scFileNode)
     setLatitude(scFileNode->getDoubleValue("latitude", 0.0));
     setBank(scFileNode->getDoubleValue("roll", 0.0));
     setPitch(scFileNode->getDoubleValue("pitch", 0.0));
+    setCollisionHeight(scFileNode->getDoubleValue("collision-height", 0.0));
+    setCollisionLength(scFileNode->getDoubleValue("collision-length", 0.0));
 
     SGPropertyNode* submodels = scFileNode->getChild("submodels");
 
diff --git a/src/AIModel/AIBase.hxx b/src/AIModel/AIBase.hxx
index 167795d8e..13af98939 100644
--- a/src/AIModel/AIBase.hxx
+++ b/src/AIModel/AIBase.hxx
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ public:
     bool setParentNode();
     void setParentName(const std::string& p);
 
+    void setCollisionLength(int range);
+    void setCollisionHeight(int height);
+
     void calcRangeBearing(double lat, double lon, double lat2, double lon2,
         double &range, double &bearing) const;
     double calcRelBearingDeg(double bearing, double heading);
@@ -167,6 +170,9 @@ public:
 
     osg::LOD* getSceneBranch() const;
 
+    virtual int getCollisionHeight() const;
+    virtual int getCollisionLength() const;
+
     /**
      *
      * @return true if at least one model (either low_res or high_res) is loaded
@@ -190,6 +196,9 @@ protected:
 
     double _max_speed = 300.0;
 
+    int collisionHeight = 0;
+    int collisionLength = 0;
+
     std::string _path;
     std::string _callsign;
     std::string _submodel;
@@ -488,6 +497,14 @@ inline void FGAIBase::setName(const std::string& n) {
     _name = n;
 }
 
+inline void FGAIBase::setCollisionLength(int length){
+    collisionLength = length;
+}
+
+inline void FGAIBase::setCollisionHeight(int height){
+    collisionHeight = height;
+}
+
 inline void FGAIBase::setDie( bool die ) { delete_me = die; }
 
 inline bool FGAIBase::getDie() { return delete_me; }
@@ -525,3 +542,47 @@ inline void FGAIBase::setMaxSpeed(double m) {
     _max_speed = m;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Default height and lengths for AI submodel collision detection.
+ * The difference in height is used first and then the range must be within 
+ * the value specifed in the length field. This effective chops the top and 
+ * bottom off the circle - but does not take into account the orientation of the
+ * AI model; so this algorithm is fast but fairly innaccurate.
+ * 
+ * Default values:
+ * +---------------+-------------+------------+
+ * | Type          | Height(m)   |  Length(m) |
+ * +---------------+-------------+------------+
+ * | Null          |      0      |        0   |
+ * | Aircraft      |     50      |      100   |
+ * | Ship          |    100      |      200   |
+ * | Carrier       |    250      |      750   |
+ * | Ballistic     |      0      |        0   |
+ * | Rocket        |    100      |       50   |
+ * | Storm         |      0      |        0   |
+ * | Thermal       |      0      |        0   |
+ * | Static        |     50      |      200   |
+ * | Wingman       |     50      |      100   |
+ * | GroundVehicle |     20      |       40   |
+ * | Escort        |    100      |      200   |
+ * | Multiplayer   |     50      |      100   |
+ * +---------------+-------------+------------+
+ */
+const static double tgt_ht[] = {0, 50, 100, 250, 0, 100, 0, 0, 50, 50, 20, 100, 50};
+const static double tgt_length[] = {0, 100, 200, 750, 0,  50, 0, 0, 200, 100, 40, 200, 100};
+
+inline int FGAIBase::getCollisionHeight() const
+{
+    if (collisionHeight == 0)
+        return tgt_ht[static_cast<int>(_otype)];
+
+    return collisionHeight;
+}
+inline int FGAIBase::getCollisionLength() const
+{
+    if (collisionLength == 0)
+        return tgt_length[static_cast<int>(_otype)];
+
+    return collisionLength;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/AIModel/AIManager.cxx b/src/AIModel/AIManager.cxx
index efb4a33e3..6457e5352 100644
--- a/src/AIModel/AIManager.cxx
+++ b/src/AIModel/AIManager.cxx
@@ -708,9 +708,6 @@ FGAIManager::loadScenarioFile(const std::string& scenarioName, SGPath& outPath)
 const FGAIBase *
 FGAIManager::calcCollision(double alt, double lat, double lon, double fuse_range)
 {
-    // we specify tgt extent (ft) according to the AIObject type
-    double tgt_ht[]     = {0,  50, 100, 250, 0, 100, 0, 0,  50,  50, 20, 100,  50};
-    double tgt_length[] = {0, 100, 200, 750, 0,  50, 0, 0, 200, 100, 40, 200, 100};
     ai_list_iterator ai_list_itr = ai_list.begin();
     ai_list_iterator end = ai_list.end();
 
@@ -718,11 +715,12 @@ FGAIManager::calcCollision(double alt, double lat, double lon, double fuse_range
     SGVec3d cartPos(SGVec3d::fromGeod(pos));
 
     while (ai_list_itr != end) {
-        double tgt_alt = (*ai_list_itr)->_getAltitude();
-        FGAIBase::object_type type = (*ai_list_itr)->getType();
-        tgt_ht[static_cast<int>(type)] += fuse_range;
+        FGAIBasePtr aiModel = *ai_list_itr;
+        FGAIBase::object_type type = aiModel->getType();
+        double tgt_alt = aiModel->_getAltitude();
+        int tgt_ht = aiModel->getCollisionHeight() + fuse_range;
 
-        if (fabs(tgt_alt - alt) > tgt_ht[static_cast<int>(type)] || type == FGAIBase::object_type::otBallistic
+        if (fabs(tgt_alt - alt) > tgt_ht || type == FGAIBase::object_type::otBallistic
             || type == FGAIBase::object_type::otStorm || type == FGAIBase::object_type::otThermal ) {
                 //SG_LOG(SG_AI, SG_DEBUG, "AIManager: skipping "
                 //    << fabs(tgt_alt - alt)
@@ -746,16 +744,17 @@ FGAIManager::calcCollision(double alt, double lat, double lon, double fuse_range
         //    << " alt " << tgt_alt
         //    );
 
-        tgt_length[static_cast<int>(type)] += fuse_range;
+        int tgt_length = aiModel->getCollisionLength() + fuse_range;
 
-        if (range < tgt_length[static_cast<int>(type)]){
+        if (range < tgt_length){
             SG_LOG(SG_AI, SG_DEBUG, "AIManager: HIT! "
+                << " (h:" << tgt_ht << ", w:" << tgt_length << ")"
                 << " type " << static_cast<int>(type)
                 << " ID " << id
                 << " range " << range
                 << " alt " << tgt_alt
                 );
-            return (*ai_list_itr).get();
+            return aiModel.get();
         }
         ++ai_list_itr;
     }