The Azarakhsh, Iran's first domestically manufactured combat aircraft.

[Glider]

Plus of course they have the money to buy the knowledge. An Indian, Pakistani, Russian or other engineer, could earn in a month what they earn in a year at home and to the Iranian's it would be money well spent, to gain the latest insight and technology.
Dare I also say there are some european countries who have been known to sell almost anything to anyone behind closed doors.

 

[Neilster]

Those shoulder mounted intakes look pretty bad from a high angle of attack point of view.

An important consideration though, is that with modern short range missiles, everybody gets dead real fast if it turns into a knife-fight. For that reason it's wise to not be too dismissive.

Cheers, Neilster

 

[Aggie08]

I wouldn't get worried just yet. The F-5 was never top of the line in its day, and that was a while ago.

As you guys were saying, it's important not to judge it until we know it's capabilities and such. However, I can't help but think our fighers would beat the tar out of it.

I bet the Air force would like to get their hands on one.

 

[evangilder]

It might just be a good jet, but I am betting their training is nowhere near as good as Western pilots get.

 

[Gnomey]

Agreed Eric, that is what it will come down to and the pilots in the West (and Israel) will be better trained (and will probably have better - if perhaps only marginally - equipment).

 

[R988]

So they are building 30 over 3 years? Watchout the Iranians are now a world power

They would be better off buying that new Chinese thing, it's bound to be less crap than something pieced together from prehistoric US equipment and Russias rejects and the Chinese will probably trade them for oil anyway.

Maybe when they build something like an F-14/Su-35 hybrid type machine then I will be impressed, of course it would still mean the Iranians just catching up while everyone else in the world is just about to switch to the next generation.

 

[Dirty Ed]

I'm surprised they actually DID make what can pass as a modern fighter.

I've met a few Iranians OUTSIDE Iran, and they are decent folks blessed with a high intelligence, including flight crews on layovers. One of our son's had one as a dorm roomate, who was top man academically in his class in ME, but he stunk to high heaven.

One of the officers in a squadron I was in had an Iranian wife, who was a real doll, perfectly sociable, and all that.

I think the whole country went downhill after they deposed the Shah, at least by Western standards.

 

[102first_hussars]

Agreed Eric, that is what it will come down to and the pilots in the West (and Israel) will be better trained (and will probably have better - if perhaps only marginally - equipment).

I agree the Iraqi Air Force during the first Gulf War had a formidable air force, but training was dispicable, there philosophy was if you see an enemy plane GET THE F*CK OUT OF THERE!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

It might just be a good jet, but I am betting their training is nowhere near as good as Western pilots get.

Agreed it will probably be a decent aircraft but there training will suck and that will get them killed. They probably wont be able to maintain them very well either due to lack of parts. Lets face it, there industry is not very good.

 

[102first_hussars]

I will say one thing, its easier to maintain excellent standards of training when you have small manpower and equipment,(the canadian military is an excellent example) they have only produced a small amount of these new planes, but like i said easier to maintain good level of training

 

[plan_D]

That was a big mistake in forcing Germany to have a 100,000 man army. It was small but highly trained, and those people trained the Wehrmacht.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

found some more photos....

I think this aircraft is nothing more than an F-5 knock-off. I give the Iranians for its development, evidently they have Incorporated more powerful engines and modified the air intakes, but as you can see by its size you're only gong to go so far with this aircraft.

I've seen some other clips about Iran and recent maneuvers. They keep showing F-5s, possible their most numerous operational western fighter....

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

It does. It looks like a direct knockoff from the F-5. Probably just modified one rather than design it themselves.

Look at the nose, intakes, exhaust, wings everything. Even the Vertical Stabilizer and rudders look the same, like they just took from 2 aging F-5s and put them on one aircraft.

Thats why they are building only 30 of them because all they are doing is taking there F-5s which they can not maintain and canabilizing them to make aircraft that will fly.

That is all this is, a modified F-5.

 

[Hunter368]

Are we surprised? How many countries around the world have made a real quality military a/c? Not many. The ones that have, many of those who have had alot of input by the major a/c builders around the world.


Does the F-5 look like a toy to anyone else or is it just me? I have always thought that.

 

[pbfoot]

Remember the Zero was supposed to be a knock off of some American aircraft can't recall the type but maybe a Hughes so it was discounted . this rumour was a believed by US and British intelligence who discounted Chennault's reports of the Zero so the RAF and USAAC believed that the Japanese were were copying designs . Thus we had the Brewster Buffalo as the first line of defence

 

[FLYBOYJ]

It is a toy - real simple and easy to work on, but probably a good choice for a cheap quality fighter. The CAF did a great job in incorporating modern avionics in the late years of their fleet (I got to play with them when I was in Botswana) but there's only so far you could go with this aircraft because of its size. If we ever came to blow with Iran I suspect these aircraft would be meat on the table as many F-5s were used as aggressor aircraft in many air-to-air combat training schools. Most of the pilots serving in the USAF flew against F-5 variants in one form or the other, even with different radar, I doubt IIAF F-5s or Azarakhshs will pose any real threat...

 

[Hunter368]

Agreed, there is nothing like knowing your opponent well after fighting him many times. Those USAF pilots will shoot them down fast, if they even have the courage to come up and challenge the USAF.


USAF pilots know the F-5 and they will pound it.

 

[Hunter368]

Joe,

The F-5 looks like something that some rich guy could buy if he wanted to, just to fly and have fun with.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Joe,

The F-5 looks like something that some rich guy could buy if he wanted to, just to fly and have fun with.

You're right. I see several making on the civilian market. Chuck Thornton was the largest civilian operator, his were used in the movie Top Gun.

I know of at least 2 guys on the east coast attempting to get theirs airworthy. After flying a few hours in the L-29 I felt comfortable in the cockpit of an F-5, it gave the same perspective from the cockpit and the controls and switches were "user friendly." I think it's an aircraft that almost anyone could learn how to fly...

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Remember the Zero was supposed to be a knock off of some American aircraft can't recall the type but maybe a Hughes so it was discounted . this rumour was a believed by US and British intelligence who discounted Chennault's reports of the Zero so the RAF and USAAC believed that the Japanese were were copying designs . Thus we had the Brewster Buffalo as the first line of defence

The aircraft was a Vought V-143 although many speculated the Japanese copied the Hughes Racer. You could see the nose of this aircraft and it looks like it could bolt on an F-5E with no problem. I think we may have an aircraft here with just a little better performance than an F-5, more of a propaganda tool than anything else...