Iran's Indigenous Transport Aircraft Marks First Flight

Iran’s domestically-developed light transit aircraft, dubbed "Simorgh" (Phoenix) has taken to the skies for the first time.

The test flight took place at the air base in the city of Isfahan. The ceremony was attended by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran, Major General Mohammad Bakeri.

“The design and manufacturing of this aircraft ... accelerates Iran’s entrance into the (global) club of manufacturers of heavy and super modern aircraft,” Brig. Gen. Ashtiani stated after the plane made its maiden flight.

The aircraft was developed and manufactured by Iran's Aviation Industry Organization, a subsidiary of Iran's Ministry of Defense. It was created on the basis of the IrAn-140, which, in turn, is a licensed modification of the Ukrainian turboprop aircraft An-140, as per reports.

Works on conversion of passenger An-140 into transport aircraft for the army are carried out by the Iranian company Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries.

The transport version was equipped with a rear ramp for the possibility of loading large loads.

Half of the fuselage, wings and a number of other components and parts were produced in Kharkiv, and only its assembly and conversion from a passenger aircraft to a light transport aircraft was carried out by HESA engineers.

Work on the creation of a tactical transport aircraft with a ramp and a payload of 6 tons is being conducted at the Aeronautical Design Center of the company IAMI (Aeronautical Design Center IAMI) to replace the Fokker-27.

The Iranian Air Force hopes that by converting the An-140 into a light transport aircraft, the Iranian army will get an alternative to the Fokker-27.