"Is Iran's Homemade "Fighter" A Fake?" Topic

"Iran's Defense Minister claims that his country's indigenous fighter, the F-311 Qaher ("Conqueror") is nearing production. The fighter was first unveiled in 2013, when it was widely ridiculed as a fake.

The Qaher jet is supposed to be Iran's first locally designed and produced fighter plane. First revealed in 2013 to great fanfare, a full-size mockup was shown to the public. The plane then disappeared into obscurity.

The plane was designed and the mockup built by the Iranian government's Aviation Industries Organization. "The fighter jet is Iranian-made and all its parts have been manufactured domestically," Qaher's project manufacturer told Iranian state television at the introduction. AIO claimed the plane was made with "high tech materials"—without specifying what kind—and able to act in both the air-to-air and air-to-ground roles. It is allegedly capable of flying "very low to the ground" and will also carry homemade weapons…"

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Amicalement
Armand

Yes, is is clearly a fake; look at the size of it! It's like a kiddie-car version of a fighter aircraft.

-Will

Let's say, for ths sake of argument that it's real. It's so small that it cannot have much fuel, and the engine (can't tell if it's two or one from the angles provided), is likely either directly taken from or a derivative of the J-85 from the F-5 Tiger II (which Iran still flies).

Those wings aren't terribly large, but the front canards, which appear to be fixed, are quite large and could give the lift needed. It doesn't like it would hold a lot of weapons.

I still think it's a bs mockup, but it could fly- it just wouldn't be much of a threat, really, unless it was designed for one way missions or relegated to training or recon missions.

either directly taken from or a derivative of the J-85 from the F-5 Tiger II

I think I read Estees D12-5's somewhere.

I had no idea they were filming "Firefox 2"…

(smile)

Iranians are funny… sometimes (smile)

Amicalement
Armadn

I'm always reminded that at one point we thought the Japanese couldn't build proper aircraft…. a viewpoint that disappeared rapidly in December 1941.

It probably is propaganda.. but still…

The real question is does the programme exist! I'd say yes as it would be rather a strange propoganda campaign – its one thing to make up hatrack claims about a single weapon system, which would be diffcult and time consuming to verify, versus say tanks or planes that can be more readily seen or rather not seen. The idea of it turning out to be jet trainer is a pretty good one, unless they're going to resurect the 'peoples fighter' concept, as I don't see a new indigeous industry being able to jump straight from 0 to, what, 3rd gen multi-role fighter. Building a trainer makes sense for a number of reasons, though it dosen't exactly look like it would take two-seater cockpit. Of course what rolls out could be a completely different looking 2nd gen knock-off.

Personally I did wonder whether it was wind tunnel model or somesuch.

Cynically I read 'nearing production' as 'at least another couple of years before the first one rolls out'. It'd be interesting to know how much this procurement is costing the Iranian public purse, and I'm guessing some Iranians would be interested as well, but I'm guessing that Iran's military-industrial complex and its Revolutionary Guard owners don't have to worry too much about public accounts committee hearings or the like.

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These pictures indicate the prototype doesn't even have functional wheels…. And can be held down by the kind of tie-downs you find at Home Depot…. :)

-Will

If they have an English language version of the air war game produced by the people who produced this prop and the accompanying news stories, I would totally buy it. Can you imagine the stats?

The wheel in the one photo looks like it would be suitable for pushing the plane around the hangar, but it must be must be made of high-tech materials indeed if that little wheel can handle the speeds necessary for take off with so little lifting area.

The third photo is cute, too, with the grizzled and ever-so serious pilot wearing his sunglasses indoors to show how serious he is. What I like about it is how realistic the control panel looks, nice and thin with just two cables coming out of the back.

I'm gonna guess they conjured this up out of a feeling of (unfounded, IMO) "inferiority". I wonder who gave them that?

IMHO, Iran's a pretty cool place … (really, I've been there often/recently). Iranians are really nice people (in Iran … haven't met many overseas, tbh). Yeah, their "bosses" like to waffle on a bit (who's don't?). But at the end of the day? Very cool people. Very sartorial if you're in the cities. And they absolutely LOVE to party (yeah, it inevitably involves some minor bribing … and then the bribe recipients go and party …).

Unfortunately, it can't be denied that their leaders (religious & political) seem tied to a bit of an abstract agenda.

Their leaders also, let's remember, execute people for being gay or for opposing the government…oh, and will lock you up for years on trumped up charges and deny all knowledge of you.

But there are worse governments out there.

My favourite story about Iranian hospitality comes from before the Revolution, but I guess some things don't change.

A British back-packer had sampled the party culture and crashed out in what he thought was some open ground.

On waking he realised he was in someone's back garden…. the people in question had laid a small tray next to him containing breakfast…

That wouldn't happen here I can tell you.

Their program is definitely bearing fruit:

Ha…Ha…Ha….!

Amicalement
Armand