diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/flt/FltFile.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/flt/FltFile.cpp
index 60d754904..a8f8f2ade 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/flt/FltFile.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/flt/FltFile.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ FltFile::FltFile(
         _useInternalMaterialPalette = true;
         setMaterialPool( new MaterialPool );
     }
+
+	// instances are always internally defined 
+	setInstancePool( new InstancePool );
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/flt/FltFile.h b/src/osgPlugins/flt/FltFile.h
index 653fed328..da4a73a62 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/flt/FltFile.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/flt/FltFile.h
@@ -34,10 +34,12 @@ class FltFile : public osg::Referenced
         ColorPool*      getColorPool()      { return _colorPool.get(); }
         TexturePool*    getTexturePool()    { return _texturePool.get(); }
         MaterialPool*   getMaterialPool()   { return _materialPool.get(); }
+        InstancePool*   getInstancePool()   { return _instancePool.get(); }
 
         void setColorPool(ColorPool* colorPool)         { _colorPool = colorPool; }
         void setTexturePool(TexturePool* texturePool)   { _texturePool = texturePool; }
         void setMaterialPool(MaterialPool* materialPool){ _materialPool = materialPool; }
+        void setInstancePool(InstancePool* instancePool){ _instancePool = instancePool; }
 
         inline const bool useInternalColorPalette() const    { return _useInternalColorPalette; }
         inline const bool useInternalTexturePalette() const  { return _useInternalTexturePalette; }
@@ -66,6 +68,7 @@ class FltFile : public osg::Referenced
         osg::ref_ptr<ColorPool>     _colorPool;
         osg::ref_ptr<TexturePool>   _texturePool;
         osg::ref_ptr<MaterialPool>  _materialPool;
+        osg::ref_ptr<InstancePool>  _instancePool;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/flt/InstanceRecords.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/flt/InstanceRecords.cpp
index 527f60a63..143927ce5 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/flt/InstanceRecords.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/flt/InstanceRecords.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ InstanceDefinitionRecord::~InstanceDefinitionRecord()
 
 void InstanceDefinitionRecord::endian()
 {
+	SInstanceDefinition *pSInstDef = (SInstanceDefinition*)getData();
+
+	ENDIAN( pSInstDef->iInstDefNumber );
 }
 
 
@@ -51,4 +54,7 @@ InstanceReferenceRecord::~InstanceReferenceRecord()
 
 void InstanceReferenceRecord::endian()
 {
+	SInstanceReference *pSInstRef = (SInstanceReference*)getData();
+
+	ENDIAN( pSInstRef->iInstDefNumber );
 }
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/flt/InstanceRecords.h b/src/osgPlugins/flt/InstanceRecords.h
index 2837cfcbf..5811c97f6 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/flt/InstanceRecords.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/flt/InstanceRecords.h
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ namespace flt {
 typedef struct InstanceDefinitionTag
 {
     SRecHeader    RecHeader;
+	int16         iSpare;
+	int16         iInstDefNumber;
 }SInstanceDefinition;
 
 
@@ -55,6 +57,8 @@ class InstanceDefinitionRecord : public PrimNodeRecord
 typedef struct InstanceReferenceTag
 {
     SRecHeader    RecHeader;
+	int16         iSpare;
+	int16         iInstDefNumber;
 }SInstanceReference;
 
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/flt/Pool.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/flt/Pool.cpp
index 677692936..6fc5540ab 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/flt/Pool.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/flt/Pool.cpp
@@ -96,4 +96,18 @@ void MaterialPool::addMaterial(int nIndex, PoolMaterial* material)
     _MaterialMap[nIndex] = material;
 }
 
+osg::Group* InstancePool::getInstance(int nIndex)
+{
+    InstanceMap::iterator fitr = _instanceMap.find(nIndex);
+    if (fitr != _instanceMap.end())
+        return (*fitr).second.get();
+    else
+        return NULL;
+}
+
+
+void InstancePool::addInstance(int nIndex, osg::Group* instance)
+{
+    _instanceMap[nIndex] = instance;
+}
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/flt/Pool.h b/src/osgPlugins/flt/Pool.h
index 21f4ddd3c..30d215093 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/flt/Pool.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/flt/Pool.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <osg/Texture>
 #include <osg/Material>
 #include <osg/StateSet>
+#include <osg/Group>
 
 #include <string>
 #include <algorithm>
@@ -103,6 +104,25 @@ class MaterialPool : public osg::Referenced
 };
 
 
+class InstancePool : public osg::Referenced
+{
+    public :
+
+        InstancePool() {}
+
+        osg::Group* getInstance(int nIndex);
+        void addInstance(int nIndex, osg::Group* instance);
+
+    protected :
+
+        virtual ~InstancePool() {}
+
+    private :
+
+        typedef std::map<int,osg::ref_ptr<osg::Group> > InstanceMap;
+        InstanceMap _instanceMap;
+};
+
 }; // end namespace flt
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/flt/flt2osg.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/flt/flt2osg.cpp
index 97a0c2a5d..b0816e46a 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/flt/flt2osg.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/flt/flt2osg.cpp
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 #include "Input.h"
 #include "GeoSetBuilder.h"
 #include "LongIDRecord.h"
+#include "InstanceRecords.h"
 
 
 
@@ -127,6 +128,8 @@ osg::Node* ConvertFromFLT::visitNode(osg::Group* osgParent, Record* rec)
     else if (rec->isOfType(DOF_OP))                 return visitDOF(osgParent, (DofRecord*)rec);
     else if (rec->isOfType(SWITCH_OP))              return visitSwitch(osgParent, (SwitchRecord*)rec);
     else if (rec->isOfType(OBJECT_OP))              return visitObject(osgParent, (ObjectRecord*)rec);
+    else if (rec->isOfType(INSTANCE_REFERENCE_OP))  return visitInstanceReference(osgParent, (InstanceReferenceRecord*)rec);
+    else if (rec->isOfType(INSTANCE_DEFINITION_OP)) return visitInstanceDefinition(osgParent, (InstanceDefinitionRecord*)rec);
     else if (rec->isOfType(EXTERNAL_REFERENCE_OP))  return visitExternal(osgParent, (ExternalRecord*)rec);
     else if (rec->isOfType(MATRIX_OP))              return visitMatrix(osgParent, (MatrixRecord*)rec);
     else if (rec->isOfType(LONG_ID_OP))             return visitLongID(osgParent, (LongIDRecord*)rec);
@@ -134,6 +137,39 @@ osg::Node* ConvertFromFLT::visitNode(osg::Group* osgParent, Record* rec)
     return NULL;
 }
 
+osg::Node* ConvertFromFLT::visitInstanceDefinition(osg::Group* osgParent,InstanceDefinitionRecord* rec)
+{
+    osg::Group* group = new osg::Group;
+    InstancePool* pInstancePool = rec->getFltFile()->getInstancePool();
+
+    if (group)
+    {
+        osg::Node* node = visitAncillary(osgParent, rec);
+        if (node) osgParent = (osg::Group*)node;
+
+        pInstancePool->addInstance((int)rec->getData()->iInstDefNumber,group);
+        visitPrimaryNode(group, (PrimNodeRecord*)rec);
+    }
+
+    return (osg::Node*)group;
+}
+
+osg::Node* ConvertFromFLT::visitInstanceReference(osg::Group* osgParent,InstanceReferenceRecord* rec)
+{
+    osg::Group* group;
+    InstancePool* pInstancePool = rec->getFltFile()->getInstancePool();
+
+    group = pInstancePool->getInstance((int)rec->getData()->iInstDefNumber);
+    if (group)
+    {
+        osgParent->addChild( group );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        osg::notify(osg::INFO) << "Warning: cannot find the instance definition in flt file."<<std::endl;
+    }
+    return (osg::Node*)group;
+}
 
 osg::Node* ConvertFromFLT::visitAncillary(osg::Group* osgParent, PrimNodeRecord* rec)
 {
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/flt/flt2osg.h b/src/osgPlugins/flt/flt2osg.h
index 2f8063a52..d3dcf1bf7 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/flt/flt2osg.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/flt/flt2osg.h
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ class ExternalRecord;
 class LightPointRecord;
 class VertexListRecord;
 class LongIDRecord;
+class InstanceDefinitionRecord;
+class InstanceReferenceRecord;
 
 //class GeoSetBuilder;
 
@@ -132,6 +134,8 @@ class ConvertFromFLT
         osg::Node* visitObject(osg::Group* osgParent, ObjectRecord* rec);
         osg::Node* visitMatrix(osg::Group* osgParent, MatrixRecord* rec);
         osg::Node* visitExternal(osg::Group* osgParent, ExternalRecord* rec);
+        osg::Node* visitInstanceDefinition(osg::Group* osgParent,InstanceDefinitionRecord* rec);
+        osg::Node* visitInstanceReference(osg::Group* osgParent,InstanceReferenceRecord* rec);
 
         void visitFace(GeoSetBuilder* pParent, FaceRecord* rec);
         void visitLightPoint(GeoSetBuilder* pBuilder, LightPointRecord* rec);