Although some pictures of this unbelievable formation have been already published on aviation website, the Russian Knights, Russian Air Force aerobatic display team has released some more images of the weird formation of Russian Su-27s (with the supporting Il-76), IRIAF (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force) F-14 Tomcats and F-4 Phantoms taken during the ferry flight that took the the team home from the Bahrain International Air Show 2012.
A unique opportunity to see some really “exotic” planes flying in (quite loose) formation over Iran, in a quite tense period.
Image credit: Sergei Shcheglov Russian Knights via http://sergeydolya.livejournal.com/423952.html (visit this site for more pictures)
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a sample here:
http://www.aviationgraphic.com/sparta/index.php?pg=showprint&pid=11544
and here
http://www.aviationgraphic.com/sparta/index.php?pg=search&categoria=-1&operator=2053&sort=-1&model=-1&display=1
This Tomcat http://www.aviationgraphic.com/sparta/index.php?pg=showprint&pid=2073
has been used for testing of AIM-54 “Phoenix” missiles reverse-engineered in Iran, in the spring of 2005
Even if they are Iran’s those F-14’s sure look good flying next to the Russian Su-27 Flankers (wonder hwo many of the 79 Tomcats we sold Iran back in the seventies are still airworthy)?
approx 20 are still in service, one was loast few days ago in crash, both pilots died
That info. is too old,on parade 2008 in Teheran there was 34 tomcats in the air, today noumber of F-14 is betwen 40-45.
With google maps you can see about 25-30, in Teheran only on 3 air port they have 140 helicopters and anyone shoud do some reserch before began talking about any noumbers.
Sory for bad english
guys , these f14’s are really still dangerious , we have made some electronic pods and a diffrent radar for that … they’re just have the f 14 skin … but in internall are really diferent , and about hawk missiles that we have replace that with aim54 , yes , it’s truse news
damn man, why isn’t your government more open to the world :/ i would love to see those cats fly in airshows in europe.
i wonder if the russian pilots shat their pants at the sight of the tomcat!