First it was monkeys in space (or not) and now it’s “GI Joe” fighter jets. Not the best of times for Iran’s aviation and aerospace programs, at least if you listen to the skeptics.
First there were doubts about Tehran’s claim it sent a monkey into space in late January. After photos of two different monkeys that were aboard the alleged one-monkey space shot surfaced, Iran media said there was a photo mix-up and, yes, there was just one Iranian monkey in space.
Then this week Iran unveiled what it said was its new high-tech stealth fighter plane. The jet shown in pictures on the website of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been the butt of jokes all week from aviation bloggers.
“This aircraft looks a lot like an old GI Joe toy,” wrote one blogger.
And from another, “This has to be a joke, right?”
Click through the gallery above to see the bloggers' comments and evidence in the photos.
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Someday, Iran will reinvent the radial engine. It will contain a 2-piston engine producing as much power as a "nuclear reactor." It will feature a next-generation gun-stall mechanism, and have a delta wing formation. She will fly up to 200 feet off the ground, before the monkeys screw up.
It reminds me of a scaled down version of the plane used in Clint Eastwood's "Firefox", with the swept down wing-tips and canards. It would look even more so if the front end was a little more square.
If this truly is the plane from Firefox, and they hire Clint to fly it, America is doomed.
Will it fly backwards and sideways? Gotta love the hype!
I guess they made the plane too small to hold a pilot and equipment because they ran out of the plastic/fiberglass that was used to make the mock-up.
Maybe they will have the space-monkey fly the plane?
Two things stick out to me...there's no way that canopy will close without the pilot tilting his head. Look how far above the headrest his head sticks and then look at the last pic with the lid closed...I'm still trying to see a joystick in pic 7 too...maybe it's flown with mental telepathy...emphasis on the mental.
how about the fact everything is in English? Or the fact that there is no "dashboard" to properly conceal the wiring. His knees partially obscure the up front panel. Is this a HOTAS setup like the F-16? And the air intakes, a bit small to properly take in the needed air unless this is strictly "subsonic"
I suspect the mockup is mainly for their domestic consumption or for runway props, to make their bases look busy in satellite images.
Well, we did the same thing in WW2 with plywood and inflatable tanks. Made the Germans think we had much more equipment than we really did.
Why did they put everything in English on the outside?
Some one in Iran is a fan of 'Firefox', a 1982 American action film produced, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. Just Google images ' Firefox Client eastwood '.
I would love to see a SNL skit where this Arrowplane are in a dogfight, and they actually are shooting small GI Joey jets from a bow....and they actaully work. Damn!! They win agian.
Sure looks like "Son Of Firefox" to me. Let's get Clint Eastwoods take on this.
Then the iranian pilot said, Wow, a windows 95 powered HUD! Amazingly next-gen!"
If they achieved all this without Chinese/Russian help,then hats off to them.....else....seems more like SinoRussians shortchanged the Iranians.
Looks like a great "target drone." Or put in an Iranian pilot and make it a piloted "target drone" for F-16 practice.
that thing is nothing more than a go-cart. the air intakes would only support a Briggs and Stratton engine. I'm no aviation expert but I am an engineer and this is phoney as can be. The only way this thing will get off the ground is on the end of a hook.