Iran’s Newest Drone…Update!
…is An Unmanned Conversion Of A 1940s American Jet Trainer
By Joseph Trevithick
The converted T-33 is the latest example of Iran’s routinely dubious boasts about its military capabilities.
The Mad Mullahs are at it again, proudly displaying their newest in hi-tech hardware. Not so long ago we were treated to their new Stealth Fighter- any resemblance to the T-5 aircraft was just coincidental.
In the same vein, the drone, dubbed Khodkar (Automatic), was showcased at an air defense exhibition in Tehran on Thursday, as the country prepares for celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Our friends at The Warzone opined:
The Islamic Republic of Iran has a long history of copying U.S.-made aircraft and other weapons that the country received during the previous regime of American ally Mohammad Reza Shah, or transforming them into newish designs, before boasting about them as entirely domestic creations. Now the Iranians have added an early Cold War-era Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star jet trainer-turned-drone to the mix.
On Jan. 30, 2019, Iranian Air Force unveiled the Khodkar, or “automatic,” at an exhibition in Tehran to mark the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution that toppled the Shah in 1979. Authorities in Iran have set up various physical displays and other imagery throughout the capital to tout the country’s military capabilities and technical achievements over the past four decades. It’s an obvious and often laughable exercise in propaganda meant to underscore the regime’s claims that it has and continues to successfully defy its critics, especially the United States and its allies, in the face of years of sanctions and embargoes.
We’ve already seen one absurd example of these claims in a new mural that, in part, depicts Iranian engineers working on the American Space Shuttle, when the country’s own nascent space program has been racking up failed launches. Iran’s boasts about Khodkar are significantly less extreme, but the design is still hardly the technical marvel Iranian state-run media would like to depict it as.
Nope. No resemblance at all.
I actually have a grudging respect for the Iranian’s ability to cobble together the 1950’s era hardware they have, and make a Franken-Drone that actually may even work. Until it blunders into an F/A-18; no kill like a gun kill.
Read the entire article here: The Drive
Tip of the hat to our very own Poetrooper, who saw the humor and shot it to me. Thanks, buddy.
Iran in ‘successful test’ of new cruise missile on revolution anniversary
Iran announced the “successful test” of a new cruise missile with a range of over 1,350 kilometres on Saturday, coinciding with celebrations for the country’s 1979 Islamic revolution.
“The test of the Hoveizeh cruise missile was carried out successfully at a range of 1,200 kilometres (840 miles) and accurately hit the set target,” Defence Minister Amir Hatami said, quoted on state television which broadcast footage of its launch.
“It can be ready in the shortest possible time and flies at a very low altitude,” he said.
Hatami described the Hoveizeh as the “long arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran” in defending itself.
It is part of the Soumar group of cruise missile, first unveiled in 2015 with a range of 700 kilometres, according to the minister.
The Hoveizeh unveiling was part of an arms exhibition titled “40 years of defensive achievements” held in Tehran.
I imagine they hit the ground, every time. Read the rest here: France 24
Category: Iran, Terror War
Well….at least it has a proven airframe; unlike the large scale plastic model they built in 2013 (Qaher F313), and claimed it was a 5th Gen stealth fighter.
Honestly…I didnt know Radio Shack sold toys that big.
Gotta love that stealthy color. Israel smash.
New Iranian strategery: make the Israelis laugh themselves to death!
Imagine what they could do with a T34 or Messerschmitt…
Or a Curtiss Jenny.
Wilbur and Orville would be so proud.
Khodkar = Clay Pigeon
Khodkar = Cock Jar
Curiously, it strongly resembles the Bell X-1, USAF aircraft #46-062, flown in 1947 by Chuck Yeager.
Does this come from a modeling kit?
Looking at the first picture, that’s exactly what I thought it was.
From the article, seems they have a few T-5 and T-33 aircraft left over from the Shah’s days. This thing is a mongrel with a T-5 engine.
They also have a couple F-14 and P-3 aircraft, but I don’t know if they’re still flyable.
Supposedly they frankensteined an F-14 with commercial engines and Russian export electronics, but it seems to fall under “pictures or it didn’t happen.”
Oh hell yes I’d fly in that!
I hope by now y’all recognize my sarcasm.
*wink*
What will they claim to have next, a stealth F4 Phantom?
Until it blunders into an F/A-18. Or a well flown P-51.
Early Cold War era? Try WWII. The T-33 is a dual-control variant of the F-80, which first flew (as the P-80) in January of 1944. Even then, it was behind the bleeding edge represented by the Me-262, though unlike the Messerschmitt, it’s throttle settings could be adjusted without blowing up the engine.
The launching system will be developed as soon as their engineers figure out how the Roman catapult is designed and operates, work out the flaws from use of plastic in construction, find enough volunteers to test unit for trajectory, accuracy and range.
They are trying to use a Trebuchet to launch it – only problem is that they can’t find anyone brave enough (read stupid enough) to go pull the release lever.
I wonder if this will be like the Soviet Tu-4, which was such a perfect copy of the B-29 that they duplicated errors.
The construction defects were then duplicated in the commie Chinese copy.
Actually a myth. The Tu-4 was converted to metric sizes, armed with 23mm guns in all of the turrets (whose fire control system had issues not seen in the real B-29), and powered by domestic engines. Its build quality was also not as good as anything Boeing put out, and it didn’t run as good as a real B-29. Still a shameless ripoff nonetheless.
nothing screams “state of the art” like a 75 year old design!
It all reminds me of those Wendys commercials in the 90s making fun of the USSR…
Is next: swimwear!
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
I’m still wondering what they did with all the I-HAWK (improved) spares we sent them to get the hostages released. The HAWK missle system we sold the Shah was in need of those improvements and they demanded the latest upgraded parts. Failed to mention they won’t work on the old system.
I finally figured it out.
It’s a copy of the buzzbombs that Hitler’s boys used to launch at London, across the channel. Early drone samples!
You guys don’t understand.
It is a Transformer!
How lazy are these Iranian engineers? Take a T-33, place a sheet of 2024 loosely over the cockpit opening, paint it orange and call it a day.
They couldn’t even be bothered to convert the writing on the plane from English to Persian? Seriously, how hard would have been to translate “Avionics bay” into the autistic kindergartner scribbles that they use?
I’m mechanically retarded and I could’ve done that! It would probably fly just as well as the Iranian one when I got done with it, too!