PaneCrazy
First Post
Reged: 09/15/06
Posts: 1
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Interesting aircraft not normally seen around Miramar
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Frank_McVey
Master Guide
Reged: 07/22/05
Posts: 5368
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Interesting find - they look like a couple of Swedish visitors.
The northermost aircraft is unmistakable, with its cranked-delta wing configuration. It's a SAAB Draken:
I'm not 100% sure about its neighbour - the resolution isn't great - but it measures out pretty close to the SAAB Gripen:
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Desmo
Master Aviation Guide
Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 1050
Loc: Lena, Norway
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That's very true. The double-delta plane is a SAAB J-35 Draken "Dragon". The National Test Pilot School operates 6 ex-Royal Danish Air Force Drakens out of Mojave. Ther's also some privately owned Drakens in the US.
Flygvapnet (Swedish Air Force) SAAB J-35 Draken:
The other one could be an IAI Kfir-C1. It's an Israeli version of the Dassault Mirage 5 with a General Electric J-79 engine. The same engine used in the F-4 Phantom. The Kfir-C1 has small canards mounted on the engine intakes.
IAI Kfir-C1 ("F-21A" aggressor leased to US Navy/USMC):
This is copied from AirToAirCombat.Com ;
Ten refurbished Hey'l Ha'Avir C2 fighters and two TC2 trainers were supplied to Ecuador in 1983, 13 Kfir-C7s and two TC7 trainers were provided to Columbia in 1987, and 25 of the upgraded Kfir-C1s were leased to the US Navy and the US Marine Corps to act as "F-21A" aggressor aircraft for "Red Flag" training.
I'm certain about the Draken, but not so sure if I've ID'ed the other correctly. It can be the shadow of the canard that's visible in the GE imagery on the plane below the Draken.
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"We have met the enemy and he is us"
Pogo.
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Desmo
Master Aviation Guide
Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 1050
Loc: Lena, Norway
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Beaten by mr Mc_Vey..... 
We agree on the Draken for sure! But the other one is "a different kettle of fish". You call it a Gripen, and I call it a Kfir. Let's see if there are other "plane-buffs" out there to confirm either one. 
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"We have met the enemy and he is us"
Pogo.
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Frank_McVey
Master Guide
Reged: 07/22/05
Posts: 5368
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H'mmm - I think I like your call of the Kfir better, Desmo. The Kfir's canards are smaller and further aft then the Gripen, and the aircraft in question looks to be about the same.
Plus I can find pictures of the Kfir at Miramar, but I haven't found a Gripen there yet...
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sasroodkapje
Collection Editor
Reged: 05/27/06
Posts: 2066
Loc: Holland
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Hi Frank ,, is this what your looking for.
Kfir C.2 928KF
from mwindridge.com
from this web page.
greetings 
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Take care,,, before you are Amused To Death
Keep on searching, keep on posting, and most important,, Have fun .
    
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Frank_McVey
Master Guide
Reged: 07/22/05
Posts: 5368
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Hi, Cees - yes, those were the ones I found
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Desmo
Master Aviation Guide
Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 1050
Loc: Lena, Norway
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My angle on this one was; Is there a canard-equipped plane that could possibly be visiting Miramar? I did consider the triangular shadow to be an antenna for a while. But that didn't add up. When "browsing the grey matter" I remembered reading about Kfir's leased to the US Forces. A little googling later and that scenario did seem likely. Another matter that ruled out the Gripen in my wiew was; Saab and BAe is keen to export and sell Gripens, but to the USN/USMC? Not very likely. And the plane had a French "air" to it, if you catch my drift?
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"We have met the enemy and he is us"
Pogo.
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earthgoogler
Collection Editor
Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 818
Loc: Germany
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But it can't be a F-21, the US version of the Kfir that was leased to the US in the late 1980s. The F-21 had much smaller canards then this aircraft here and all have been returned to Israel by 1990.
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The Collection List
Visible Shipwreck Collection
List of Navy Posts
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Desmo
Master Aviation Guide
Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 1050
Loc: Lena, Norway
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Now I'm really confused...... Let's have three-wiews for comparison first.
Kfir:
Gripen:
The shadow of the lower plane seems to indicate that it has a rear-set tailfin sitting on top of the engine-nozzle. The Gripen on the other hand has the nozzle sticking out behind the tailfin. This plane is proving to be a real tough nut......
Your statement about the F-21A Lion or US Kfir is absolutely true. The US Forces inventory doesn't include the IAI Kfir at this date to the best of my knowledge and search.
But we'll crack this nut too........ maybe. 
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"We have met the enemy and he is us"
Pogo.
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