Analysts Say It 'Looks Like A Toy' And Would Be Unable To Fly

There seems to be no shortage of braggadocio coming from the Iranian press of late. They have recently claimed to have shot a monkey into space, which has been questioned by the U.S. State Department, and now they say they have a stealth fighter nearly comparable to western 5th generation aircraft. But analysts who have looked at photos of the plane call it a "laughable fake."

The aircraft has been dubbed by Tehran as the Qaher F313. At its unveiling last week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said it had almost all the "positive features” found in western aircraft ... but experts said that there are no bolts or rivets on the exterior of the plane, it looks too small to accommodate a human pilot, and that the controls and wiring were too simple to support flight.

The New York Post reports that Andrew Davis with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said it "might vibrate if you put 20 cents into it." He said that it was likely a propaganda tool designed to convince people in more rural areas that the country is technologically advanced.

Under an arms embargo, Iran is unable to buy new aircraft or spare parts for the aging jets that it owns ... most of which are U.S.-built planes left over from the days of the Shah.

FMI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qaher-313