Iran's flying boats go on display at sea

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have taken delivery of three squadrons of flying crafts named ''Bavar 2'', according to the country's state TV.

Video here: BBC News - Iran's flying boats go on display at sea

Are these actually planes or ground-effect ekranoplans? Not sure what their payload will be like, but I an see the causing all sorts of mischief in the Gulf.

 

Look like ground effect.
They also look about as stealthy as a breeze block.
Problems for unarmed vessels; that's about it.

 

And unsuspecting Naval Rigids bobbing around in the Persian Gulf

 

Ouch!

I wonder what a javelin would do to one?

 

They are quoted as being for the Persian Sea and Gulf but, if they are indeed ground effect, they strike me as being more suitable to the Caspian. Having worked there I know that all the missile sites around the Caspian's non-Iranian states point firmly in their direction. The fact that the Iranians are boasting about the crafts 'invisibility' to radar just makes me wonder as to their real menace. The threat of conflict in the Caspian would be a big stick to negotiate with!

 

Did anyone else think "home-made" when they saw 'em...kind of a small scale kit version of something "grown up".... Shorts/Catalinas, they ain't...

 

Would that be one launched by Fatima Whitbread or the SAM version as I think the Fatima version could do some damage.

 

They look very similar to Flarecraft projects. It makes you wonder whether they have the capability to "invent".

 

Do they all exist or is this a prototype cgi'd to make up the numbers? This appears to be a one-man jobbie so more development to be expected.

 

Ground effect they aint, ground effect only happens in a very small window depending of the wing size and these things where well out of it.

 

They do look like fun though.

 

They've got microlight engines on the roof, which is not very stealthy unless they plan to retract it into the fuselage and glide into the target, er, with no payload because the 5hp engine and prop is stuffed in the hold.

It's an interesting, small and cheap pleasure plane with no decent flight characteristics or manouverability, that can carry only one pilot in good weather, no choppy seas, and certainly no payload, offensive or otherwise.

Makes for good telly for Iranians though.

Just my humble opinion.

 

Looks like a homebuild kit plane. I would think it has less offensive capability than this:

 

we're doomed, I tells ya. Doooomed.

 

Manned Target Drones - Never seen that before. Those Iranians do come up with some wacky ideas.