true, just like rock deserts, they are even harder than asphalt

Im not so sure about it. This lake is flooded for some time in year, it not like bonneville which is dry forever. Thus the ground may be very soft.

As the airstrip seems to be constructed on it, the speed bonus makes sense to me.

They should just redo the whole speed thing on vehicles.

Vehicles are just overall too weak.
And the fact that just by driving on something that is not marked as road limits vehicles severely is just ridiculous.

Even the plane, with a top speed of 700km/h and a freaking jet engine can't go more than 40km/h on flat terrain...

For this very reason, you only need about 50 meters of terrain to land safely.

I agree mulleDK19 but I doubt they are about to do a movement overhaul.

If they were the idea would be you go slow offroad because going fast would be very likely to hit a bump and roll you but right now it is very hard to roll or anything.

near impossible to roll anything, and when you do, it flips back over in 0.01 seconds(might be a slight exaggeration)
if the salt flat is used as an airstrip, it should behave like pavement

we been taking off on the "flats" in a MP_Dogfight mission lately without issue...

assume BIS went with the idea that a larger wheel (aircraft in this matter) is less effected on rougher terrain (dirt) which is why smaller wheeled vehicles (cars/trucks) are slower on that surface

IF someone managed to tweak a model for that surface they could make a bunch of turbine propelled vehicles to do land-speed records.

BIS already threw in a Go-Cart track at the main Altis_Airbase so I don't see why not modify or share the material required to create such content.

I strictly play ArmA/OFP for the military simulation but Im up for trying to break some speed-records on the flats... has anyone attempted to make any simulation resembling that?

+1 VOTE

Even if it's completely dry and hard as you say, it will not be nearly as smooth as asphalt.
Looked for some pictures in the summer:

https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/58336648
http://www.schmittdoes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_9697-1024x768.jpg
https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/24995081

Hmm well in Armaverse it seems to be pretty dry. Btw I was also expecting to get some nice high speed with new civilian vehicles but I was bit disappointed.

@Mulle
Offroad got more bumbs in real life so you really couldn't drive too fast and that's what Arma is "simulating"

I've visited those salt lakes on Lemnos island and theirs surface is not solid. There is dry crust on the top and under it there is wet sand/mud. When we walked across it we sank nearly each step.

But I understand your point for use as racing tracks. We can change saltlake surface parameters, that is no problem. But I leave it up to you guys. Your votes will decide! ;)

Now that I've watched more closely well there is some vegetation and brown areas so it's not that dry. I vote no for this time. It would be nice little fun factor though :)

First off Jimmy, that wouldnt affect a vehicle. Second off you must consider this is a video game, it wouldnt seriously affect milsim people negatively but would be fun for people to use for testing and racing.

If maxell says he has been there and its not dry, then it shouldn't be a support airstrip at all, unless its depending on time of the year, in wich case, its a feature wich must be added into the game.

Clearly global warming in 2035 has dried it up completely ;)

I just wish they would change the speed for on/offroad all together. With the new physics it might be possible to make sure you have less grip making it very hard to drive fast, but at least you're able to when you want to (And you're a good driver). This magical engine limiter when you drive on anything that isn't a perfect pavement is annoying as hell.

I vote yes, but there should ideally be less traction on salt-flats (reflecting their real-world characteristics). Apart from that, there should be no speed cap on the flats.

Considering the worlds fasted cars are tested on salt flats, this ticket makes sense to me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonneville_Salt_Flats

The island is modeled for a specific summer day in the year.

Are these salt "flats" analogous to the American salt flats though? These are two completely different climates we're talking about here, so I suspect that a direct comparison is going to be hopelessly wrong.

They are different areas but similar terrain and the map is model off of I think July 4-5th or some time in August.

Welcome to Bonneville salt flats. Hatchback Sport - top speed 326 kmh-1 ;)