Iranski F-14 ponovo lete :: Nauka ~ Tehnika ~ Military

Ovo je smesno, iranski F-14A nikad nisu ni prestajali da lete. Iran ima potpuno opremljenu radionicu u Merhabadu koja i danas odrzava ove avione bez problema.

Evo i clanka iz iranskog Air Industries magazina (mada je starijeg datuma).

Overhauling of the 100th F-14 by the Iran’s aircraft industry and returning it to service with the IRIAF

After overhauling the 100th F-14 (Tomcat) strategic fighter by the specialists of Iran’s aircraft industry (SAHA), and returning it to service with the IRIAF, we had a brief interview about how this important job was achieved with the engineer, Mr. Mehrdad Amiri (assistant aircraft developer at SAHA). The interview is as follows.

Q: Mr. Amiri, would you please tell us briefly on how the F-14s are being repaired?

R: In the name of god the most gracious and merciful. After the great Islamic revolution which forced the western engineers and specialists (specially American specialists) to leave Iran were thought by a lot of foreign and domestic observers, that the overhauling of the Iranian F-14s would face great problems or would be impossible to be achieved by Iranian engineers and specialists. Their opinion on this matter was based on their believe, that Iranian engineers and specialists did not have the familiarity or the experience with these aircrafts, including its special hanger need or its basic repairs, especially since there was a western arms embargo imposed on Iran. But with the will of god and the hard working of the SAHA personnel and with help of our loyal engineer and specialists of IRIAF, in the year 1361 (1982-1983), the basic work on the overhauling was started.

Q: Please tell us about the problems that were faces with the overhauling of F-14s in the beginning?

R: The very first problem with the overhauling of F-14s, were the lack of needed engineers and specialists, overhauling packages, needed parts and tools and which the aircraft industry overcame the problem with the hard work and several years of experience in the field of aircraft repairs, and by extracting the needed information from available technical manuals and having access to plans for overhauling aircrafts. At the same time with help of our Islamic brothers and their experience from IRIAF, were called to relieve the pressure of lack of spare and tools needed for this job to be started.

Q: Please tell us about the steps takes in overhauling one F-14?

R: In short the overhauling of one F-14 is based on a 3-stage plan. The main stage which is it self made of 22 phases would be from entering the aircraft for overhaul to returning it. The stage for repairing parts of the aircraft is separate from the first stage (which is different for each individual aircraft) and technical overhauling.

Q: Would you please tell us about the advances made in the field of heavy repairs of F-14 aircraft in Iran?

R: Fortunately for us, the aircraft industry was able to focus on the need of IRIAF and to set plans for its repairing needs. It started from a slow and planned start in the year 1361 (1982-1983) and reached a proud and fast speed by the year 1371 (1992-1993). In this year several F-14s were repaired and one aircraft was finished with its overhauling and was returned and was returned to IRIAF. We hope with new years to come, that we perfect and get better in repairing the IRIAF aircrafts. Infect, with the full knowledge and the ability to fully repair any aircraft, we have announced to the IRIAF that we can repair any numbers of their aircrafts that they need.

Q: What self-sufficiency’s of this aircraft have we reached?

R: In the past 10 years, the repairing of these aircrafts were a big step and very knowledgeable for us in the fields of engineering these aircrafts and with the access to the powerful computer technology, we can say with certainty that we can completely overhaul these aircrafts. Also we have taken steps in the field of overhauling chassis’s and frames for these aircrafts, that with the availability of the needed funding we can continue doing this. We can do the same for other aircrafts in the IRIAF inventory. Also I would like to add that not only studies but steps in the field of manufacturing spare parts for these aircrafts are on hand on a day to day basis, and we have been successful up to now in this field.

Q: Was there any repairs done on damaged F-14s?

R: Yes, in this field we received great experience and knowledge from aircraft engineering section of SAHA, that has more to do with the years of imposed war. With in-depth focus on complicated engineering feats, out factories were able to exactly copy the needed parts with basic engineering knowledge.

Q: What are the effects of American embargo on repairing our F-14s?

R: In the beginning we thought that we would face a lot of problems, but by doing some research and having access to spare parts received before the Islamic revolution, we came to the conclusion that with the strong spare part needs and the little spare parts available, forced us to increase our affords in manufacturing spare parts for our F-14s. In comparison to our other projects, our F-14 repair project had a lower cost.

Q: What do you think the future of F-14 will be in both Iran and the world?

R: It is a common knowledge that outside US Navy, Iran is the only nation operating F-14s, because US does not want to sell these birds to other nations do to the fact that this birds are very capable aircrafts. The development of this aircraft in US was excellent. Infect the fact that upgrading it’s A model to the D models with greater flying and fighting capability was a great improvement. Upgrading their engines, adding more powerful radars, adding advance electronic warfare systems, upgrading to more powerful computers, modern hydraulics and adding or updating other modern equipments created aircrafts that does not have any other aircrafts that comes close to them in comparison.
The changing of the aircraft to a multi-rule aircraft by US., probably shrank the market for other aircrafts.

Q: First I want to thank you for your time and effort in giving this interview and second I would like to ask you if there is anything else you would like to talk about on this matter before we finish this interview up?

R: Yes, I would like to say that SAHA, with its 20 some years experience in the fields of overhauling aircrafts, their engines, and specially its specialized personnel’s, has become a unique industry in the middle east, and in the amount effort and work being done has placed it unique in the world as whole This is the reason that why we need to protect this great investment at all costs and that we must still continue to work on it to make it even greater. At the end I would like to thank all the technicians, engineers and all personnel’s who are working in Iran’s aircraft industry who had backed us up in the past during the imposed war.

Videti sliku Tehran/Merhabad aerodroma i F14A u ogradjenom vojnom delu:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/202501/L/