World trembles in confusion and/or fear at Iran's fiberglass airplane

[DainBramaged]

To fight the "Great Satan"...
Iran recently took the wraps off its Qaher-313 "new super modern fighter plane," seen here nose-on. The quality of the aircraft shown in these pictures is leading some observers to wonder if Iran is playing a joke on the rest of the world. This plane is almost certainly a mock-up, because if it's not—well, look, I can only assume that the country employs at least one aerospace engineer, right? This has to be a joke, right?


http://arstechnica.com/business/2013/02/world-trembles-in-confusion-andor-fear-at-irans-fiberglass-airplane/

[NYC_SKP]

1. It needs more wings!

Scary!

[kentauros]

12. They can Photoshop those on.

They'll be doing the same thing for its maiden "flight" anyway

[NYC_SKP]

14. Look! It's got an 8-track tape deck AND a cassette player!

[kentauros]

16. I wonder if the faceplates are removable?

You know, for security?

Where's the alarm LED light?

[snooper2]

2. it's really a speed boat, somebody did some bad translating

[AndyA]

3. Tail fins inspired by a 1959 Cadillac

It looks like something you could build in your garage, from a kit.

[lastlib]

4. "Iranian fighter squadron engages in a dogfight with an American Flyer..."

(Six kills for the Frisbee........)

[el_bryanto]

5. It looks kind of cool. But needs some of those flame decals to really sell it. nt

[Orrex]

6. I believe that the aircraft was commissioned by Testor's

A skill-0 Snap-tite design, if I'm not mistaken.

[rbixby]

7. If you look at the pictures at the link, the thing is teeny

And looks so much like a mockup. Look at the supposed exhaust, its definitely not a jet engine.

[Throd]

8. They need to get it off the gym floor by 4:00 pm, because that's when basketball practice starts.

[kentauros]

11. I'm surprised to read that they play basketball in Iran,

being an American sport and all that

[Mr Dixon]

9. IMO

The article comments seem a little arrogant, who really know if this thing will fly?

[DainBramaged]

10. Right....

Just like the 'planes' Iraq had to deliver Chemical weapons across the Atlantic.......please give us a break.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. It probably could *fly*; I think the question is whether it can 'fight'

Being able to build a fiberglass body, and carbon fiber, or advanced alloy, one for a modern fighter, are quite different things. A design like that (canards, smallish rear wings) will be a lot harder to control at speed than a conventional one, and I doubt fiberglass is up to the stresses involved.

[pa28]

13. Shhhh. We're all supposed to pretend Iran is an actual geopolitical threat.

Their submarine fleet is equally scary.

[Rex]

18. I see they finally got a third person in their navy.

[FarCenter]

15. Reminiscent of Boeing Bird of Prey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Bird_of_Prey

[Rex]

17. Big fucking deal, lemme know when they have ten billion

nuclear weapons and I'll start to worry. They have a plane...wooptie freakin do. I bet there are no engines inside that shell. It looks like a very easy target to hit.

[Robb]

19. Why do they always display their fake airplanes in the gym?

What's the subliminal message they're sending?

[wandy]

20. I have my doubts.......

In image 7 (link wont show pix) note the rippeling in the skin around the cockpit. This distortion would be an aerodynamic problem for a Corvette or Dodge Viper at top speed. Although that is considerably quick this "air-e-o plane" would have to be far faster than that to be anything more than a 'clay pigeon' to an F-115.

[CBGLuthier]

21. Remember that funny time the US shot down the Iranian passenger jet?

Yeah, that was really funny funny times.

[randome]

23. It looks like they studied North Korean military plans in the dark while drunk.

[Pharlo]

24. Oh, you sceptics

I honestly believe they will be able to get this plane in the air. All they have to do is get the basketball team to come in a little early, synchronize their jumping up and down on the trampoline, and VOILA! Plane in the air! Take a picture, edit out the trampoline and the basketball team, any you're left with the plane in the air.

And, using this advanced technology, it will fly higher without an engine.