Iran Unveils Flying Saucer Using Old B-Movie Stock Photo

ChronoFish writes "The FARS news agency and a host of others are reporting on Iran claiming to have created a flying saucer-like drone. There is one small problem however. The press release photos from the state-run news service are from a movie."

Comments

Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

TFA said it looks like a b-movie photo not that it IS from a movie.

Its just an experimental UAV.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Low Ranked Craig]

http://www.amazon.com/Invasion-UFO-Encounters-Alien-Beings/dp/B001NZ3DNM

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[BLAG-blast]

I notice other subtle attempts to discredit Iranian domestically produced equipment in the US/western press. When ever an "allied" power makes a press release or claim to have produced it's own version of something (a submarine, rocket, satellite, etc.), the press refers to it as "domestically produced". When Iran makes a press release or claim to have made the same thing, the press calls it "home made", which seems to imply it was name in somebodies garage at home (and it's comparable to things like the home made Chinese oil drum submarine).

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[ladoga]

I think they just used a stock photo of UFO to illustrate the article. It's not supposed to be any more real than the Bill Gates with Borg apparatus picture that the Slashdot uses ever so often.

The real one should probably look something like this: http://www.isna.ir/ISNA/PicView.aspx?Pic=Pic-1736235-1&Lang=E

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

To be fair, the few times Iran has showcased its own domestically produced wares, they look like they'd be more at home with the rest of the Estes kits. In all honesty, I'd rather entrust the fine folks at Estes Rockets with homeland defense than whatever bozos Iran has been using.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Ohrion]

The Fars article ITSELF refers to it as being home-made. Article linked from the summary: http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8912250816.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[GooberToo]

the press calls it "home made", which seems to imply it was name in somebodies garage at home (and it's comparable to things like the home made Chinese oil drum submarine).

I'm going to be blunt here, but this is not a troll. This is completely factually accurate. So please read the entire thing. Please do not go off and troll moderate because it offends political correctness.

Is the comparison unjust? Hate to tell you, but culturally, they do have many disadvantages to creating high quality products. For example, foreign subject matter experts can teach the subject but are almost always prohibited from grading or correcting serious failures in comprehension. This is singularly, the primary motivator for sending their kids off to Western schools because it effectively side-steps societal taboos. After all, the foreigner is a dirty, inferior, scumbag and the student doesn't really care because this is just one stepping stone in their path for societal advancement. The reality is, this plays a major reason why high quality goods are rarely, if ever, invented and manufactured in these countries. Socially, they are programmed for high quality failure. Countries like India frequent suffer a similar fate. Of course it doesn't help they are all too frequently xenophobic and hatefully intolerant.

Until these countries, with their inferior societal practices, comes to terms and openly admit they are not the superior beings of the world, as their cultures openly demand, they are doomed to failure, low quality goods, and garage creations.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

Nice rant, but it was the FARS News Agency, which is owned and operated by the Iranian government, that referred to the aircraft as "home made" not the Western media.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[GooberToo]

Nice rant,

Nice rant, but I was addressing the gp which had issue with the use of, "home made", rather than than the source of the original comment.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

You're mentally retarded. If your local engineering school is any good it's grad program is probably swamped by Iranians who didn't get into Iran's tops schools. That's not because Iran has cultural disadvantages.

I think a likely candidate might be the craft they show about 4:40 into the following piece on Iranian robots(it seems the staff over their was already reffering to it as a ufo-type craft).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Y9CYTm7co

I thought their soccer playing robots were pretty impressive. No doubt better than what most Western universities could achieve.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Hognoxious]

For example, foreign subject matter experts can teach the subject but are almost always prohibited from grading or correcting serious failures in comprehension. This is singularly, the primary motivator for sending their kids off to Western schools because it effectively side-steps societal taboos.

You're mentally retarded.

No, you are. Hit a raw nerve much?

If your local engineering school is any good it's grad program is probably swamped by Iranians who didn't get into Iran's tops schools. That's not because Iran has cultural disadvantages.

Comprehension fail, see emphasis above.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[LifesABeach]

i just shake my head, all the money that iran has, and this is the best they can come up with. i get this mental image of someone lassoing one of these and using it as toy to look at girls while they shower.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Thud457]

who built a what that looks like a what now?

But, do, continue with the belittling of those silly fundamentalists accomplishments.

Project Caret, anyone?

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Jessified]

I'm not going to rate it down, but only because I want to respond. But God I hope someone else does. You are lumping non-US countries into one big group, and then at that you are speaking on behalf of entire countries. And every comment you made about said countries applies to many, many people in the US if not a pervasive American culture. "Frequently xenophobic," the need to "openly admit they are not the superior beings of the world." Don't get me started on "inferior societal practices," that is wrong on so many levels.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[GooberToo]

Please stop asserting things I never said or implied and then shooting me for your own comprehension failings.

The simple fact is, its difficult to be well rounded and fully educated by your own schools when the teachers frequently view their position as a societal stepping stone and foreigners are culturally prohibited from properly doing their job. This all but ensures an inferior education while believing yourself to be superior. This in turn means external education it frequently demanded. After all, if its not invented there, its difficult to both have and maintain subject matter experts. And bringing in subject matter experts is frequently blunted because of societal demands.

I'm sorry you got your feelings hurt by simple statement of fact.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[seidojohn]

Instead of being from a B-movie, it's the winner of Popular Science's "Best of What's New 2008": http://www.draganfly.com/uav-helicopter/draganflyer-x6/

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[GooberToo]

There is a VAST difference between individual ignorance and bias versus a cultural ignorance and bias which actively works to ingrained it in all of its citizens. The later is very likely a life-long failing while the former can simply change in the natural course of one's life and experiences.

Don't get me started on "inferior societal practices," that is wrong on so many levels.

Isn't this exactly the point of these forums? The simple fact is, inferior societal practices are just that, especially when people are not willing to discuss and address. Ultimately, that's entirely the point of my post.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

The growth of Iran's scientific research output over the last thirty years about 11 times the world average and bigger than any other single country, China is second. (That's according to science-metrix, which is a Montreal based firm)

You don't know anything about Iranian culture, and despite that you are grasping at straws to explain a non existent phenomenon about Iranian science. I'm actually being charitable by calling you mentally retarded. Don't go out of your way disappoint my faith in you.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Jessified]

And upon what do you base your expert knowledge of EVERY non-US culture? You are broad brushing, based on what? Some Indian schools are more competitive than American schools, but you are trying to say that they just hand out As because it's culturally unacceptable in every non-US country to fail a student. WHAT?! Where do you come up with this stuff?

The simple fact is, inferior societal practices are just that, especially when people are not willing to discuss and address.

You would do well to start with the inferior practices of American culture. That's what these forums are about, right, according to you? Turning a critical eye on oneself? And you would have a valid point, if that's what you were doing. But you're not. You're turning a critical eye to every non-US culture and not to your own, which in and of itself demonstrates the very characteristics you criticize in others: namely, xenophobia and a superiority complex. As Marshall would say: "Lawyered."

"Uh, I'm sorry, sir, but did you know that your ignorance is showing?"

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[GameboyRMH]

So they built a tricopter/hexacopter (hey it has six blades)? That's quite believable, any RC enthusiast with a few hundred bucks can do that. For a few thousand you can have a quadcopter like Google uses for low-altitude aerial photography.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[shutdown -p now]

For example, foreign subject matter experts can teach the subject but are almost always prohibited from grading or correcting serious failures in comprehension.

Your knowledge of foreign educational systems is astounding. FYI, in the country where I come from, "serious failure in comprehension" in school would be plainly graded as such, and a student lagging behind severely could be forced to stay for another year in the same grade. In the university, you'd just fail your exams and be kicked out - which can be rather nasty for males as they then get conscripted into army. There's bribery, of course, but that is a very different issue.

This is singularly, the primary motivator for sending their kids off to Western schools because it effectively side-steps societal taboos.

No, the primary motivator for sending kids off to Western schools is because it is more prestigious, and because Western diplomas are better recognized in Western countries, should one wish to work or even immigrate there. Another motivator is that world's best colleges (like MIT) are in the West. This has nothing whatsoever to do with "societal taboos", because there aren't any that are relevant here.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[mangu]

I notice other subtle attempts to discredit Iranian domestically produced equipment in the US/western press

And I note totally non-subtle attempts to glorify Iran coming from many segments of US/Western press.

The reasoning seems to go like this: "I hate the US government, Iran hates the US government, therefore Iran can do nothing wrong"

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

OH, SNAP

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

"Hit a raw nerve much?"
Actually you did. I don't like it when white people, whose main contribution to the world has been increasingly inventive methods and excuse for genocide spread lies about other cultrues.

>>>"...the primary motivator for sending their kids off to Western schools..."
>>"..swamped by Iranians who DIDN'T GET INTO IRAN'S TOP SCHOOLS..."
>"Comprehension fail, see emphasis above."
Learn to read your own first language.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

Like this then?

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[pushing-robot]

But the title of the Fars article is "Iran Unveils Flying Saucer", so it's more like Slashdot having an article called "Bill Gates gets cybernetic implants" and showing a convincingly* photorealistic version of picture you mentioned.

(*for certain values of "convincingly")

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[jon3k]

I think it's just a problem with the translation. I think "homemade" in this sense refers to being made in their "homeland". Not at some individual's home.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[IrquiM]

But the picture is called "Real.jpeg"?

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

I lived in the middle east for 6 years. Iran is a back-ass country who eat their own propaganda and bullshit. The only intelligent Iranians I've known are those who got the hell out of there and don't plan on ever going back. Totalitarian ayatollah retards with their make-it-up-as-I-go-along religion, you can keep them and their propaganda. One day Iran will drop a nuke on Israel and then the US will have an excuse to bomb their sorry country into a flat expanse of glass (you can be sure those fundamentalist ayatollah retards will be sure to hold their course until that happens).

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

And to think, sometimes I wonder why everyone in the world seems to hate white people.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

What if he wasn't white? We get your point, though.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

Haha, what makes you think he's white dumbass. Oh sorry that's just your prejudice showing through.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Anonymous Coward]

You're a retard, learn to read in context rather than jumping on an individual word.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Hognoxious]

Don't get me started on "inferior societal practices," that is wrong on so many levels.

So you agree that women should be stoned to death for committing adultery?

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Hognoxious]

Your knowledge of foreign educational systems is astounding.

I don't see where he claimed to be an expert on all of them, so your sarcasm is unwarranted.

FYI, in the country where I come from

Which isn't Iran, IIRC, and therefore totally irrelevant to the discussion at hand

, "serious failure in comprehension" in school would be plainly graded as such

I assume you speak from experience.

GooberToo (74388) was clearly referring to the Iranian system, and in that context "foreign" means "not Iranian". So get off your high horse already. There's plenty of "USA number 1" posts around if you want to go Yank-bashing, but this isn't one of them.

No, the primary motivator for sending kids off to Western schools is because it is more prestigious

Perhaps you should ask yourself why they're more prestigious. Or to turn it on its head, why Iranian ones are less so.

This has nothing whatsoever to do with "societal taboos", because there aren't any that are relevant here.

In much of the ME it's considered impolite to disagree with people or tell them they're wrong. Among other things that makes it pretty hard for a teacher to do his job.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[GooberToo]

And upon what do you base your expert knowledge of EVERY non-US culture?

Ahhh....that's what this all boils down to - you're failure to comprehend and your personal bias. Stating a FACTUAL statement of one culture does not elevate all other cultures; as you ignorantly insist on asserting. This isn't about yaaa...western culture rules - its about middle eastern culture largely sucks. There's a huge difference. And if you can't understand all this, you're so ignorant of the world you have absolutely no reasonable basis to even be commenting.

The fact is, most middle eastern cultures have much dogma which prevents learning from foreigners while within their our culture. Period. End of discussion. Absolutely fact. If you don't believe me, well you're not the least bit in a position to actually comment. Shut up and learn. Funny how we keep coming back to that.

That means, if its not invented there, and you don't leave your country, the chances of truly having subject matter experts available to teach is extremely unlikely. Period. End of discussion. If you don't understand how not having subject matter experts available to create other subject matter experts works, well, that explains your completely irrational and biased posts. Furthermore, as a cultural norm, those who are well educated outside the country and do go back, frequently see it as a stepping stone to become upwardly mobile within their society. That means native subject matter experts frequently do not stay around to create other subject matter experts. This is what the world calls a "brain drain." Middle eastern countries are actually well documented to suffer from brain drain which is why the wealthier countries are well known for hosting vast numbers of brainy and specialized foreigners - because they largely don't exist otherwise.

To be absolutely clear here, many cultures have unhealthy aspects to them. It just so happens, most middle eastern cultures have vastly more dogma which more sane cultures have already shed over the last thousand years. This lack of societal growth, which is EXTREMELY well documented for anyone who's bothered in the least, manages to oppress these countries socially and economically.

Again, everything I'm saying is EXTREMELY well documented and widely known. I just happen to bring it together into a single conversation. The fact you seem so obviously ignorant of all of these facts raises the question, why the hell is someone so obviously ignorant of the subject inserting their ignorant opinion, which is contrary to endless facts...oh that's right, it offended your personal bias and ignorant opinion.

Re:Stupid slashdot editors

[Cowmonaut]

I'm honestly confused. Are you mad at the parent for belittling Iranian technological achievements and arguing that he's wrong by showing a UAV originally designed in the 1980's by an American company? I could be misunderstanding but that's how you come across to me.

Did I miss something?

[elrous0]

I actually read the articles (yes, I know it's a sin) and I didn't see any reference to the picture they released ACTUALLY coming from a movie. The headlines *joke* that it *looks* like something from a B-movie, but the summary seems to take that seriously.

The picture may be a mock-up, and the claimed craft may be a bunch of bullshit (with some of the crazy claims coming from Iran lately, who knows), but I don't see any news sources saying they actually stole the picture from a specific movie. I will say though, that, for a country completely devoid of homosexuals, they sure do have an unusual bent for the theatrical.

Re:Did I miss something?

[Halifax Samuels]

There's no actual accusation of it being from a movie in either article. One commenter posted this which is dated a few months ago (picture, not the comment). It seems plausible that this photo could be a stock photo from something, but the article sure does a very poor job of reporting that.

Re:Did I miss something?

[MightyYar]

Yeah, the image shows up a LOT on the web - but no mention of a movie.

Re:Did I miss something?

[ByOhTek]

$10 says it's goatse

I'm sure as hell not clicking it.

Re:Did I miss something?

[MoonBuggy]

I just did exactly that search - it's used as the cover art on what appears to be a low budget straight-to-DVD documentary from 2008, but I very much doubt that's the original.

Re:Did I miss something?

[elrous0]

If it's goatse, that just makes me want to click it even more.

Re:Did I miss something?

[MightyYar]

Can you get goatse to show up on tineye? That would be a pretty good trick.

Re:Did I miss something?

[Nikker]

I found it humorous that an interstellar space craft is equipped with GPS though.

Re:Did I miss something?

[lwsimon]

THANK YOU. A citation. None of the news stories I've found provided one - they preferred to just make the allegation and trust that I will believe them.

Re:Did I miss something?

[Onuma]

Devoid of "open" homosexuality. The middle east has plenty of gays, they just hide behind their culture and keep it on the low...else they may be flogged/honor killed/imprisoned.

Re:Did I miss something?

[f8l_0e]

I know if I was traveling through space, I would want a Galatic Positioning System.

Re:Did I miss something?

[WrongSizeGlass]

THANK YOU. A citation. None of the news stories I've found provided one - they preferred to just make the allegation and trust that I will believe them.

Um, just like Iran made a claim that they invented a flying saucer and trust that you will believe them?

Re:Did I miss something?

[georgesdev]

one thing's for sure, it's too early for April Fool ;)

Re:Did I miss something?

[mwvdlee]

May not be a B-movie, but it's been available on DVD for more than two years now: http://www.amazon.com/Invasion-UFO-Encounters-Alien-Beings/dp/B001NZ3DNM

Re:Did I miss something?

[Ohrion]

It comes pretty much straight off the cover of "Invasion: UFO Encounters and Alien Beings".

Re:Did I miss something?

[rrossman2]

A more "real" link has a photo of a more helicopter looking thing, rather than that UFO deal.

I do like the fact "Fars News Agency" is registered out of Vancouver, Washington.. maybe another government shill office?!

Re:Did I miss something?

[lwsimon]

No, that's why I was looking for a citation.

Just because an outlet supports your preconceptions doesn't make it true.

Re:Did I miss something?

[Anonymous Coward]

So! They DO have a flying saucer!

Disclaimer - Did not read the article, did not attempt to read the article. I already waste enough time on /. and don't need to give Iranian propaganda BS any page views.

Re:Did I miss something?

[jon3k]

actually it's really awesome, the site lets you search by uploading an image. i'm going to have to save that url, i have a feeling this will come in handy at some point.

Re:Did I miss something?

[ByOhTek]

Yes. And now I'm embarrassed. The text really did make it look like a goatse troll.

There's a reason I don't click comment links on slashdot.

/. News Network

[Even on Slashdot FOE]

Our contributors never sully themselves with reading the article they are writing about, news at 11.

Re:/. News Network

[Anonymous Coward]

Galactic Positioning System?

Movie?!

[ickleberry]

You mean Film right?

To be fair...

[Grapplebeam]

Had they actually completed such a task, they'd be able to gain the allegiance of a few American cities, wholesale.

Iran used to be called Persia...

[jenningsthecat]

...so can we consider this an update of a 'flying carpet'?

Re:Iran used to be called Persia...

[dominious]

...so can we consider this an update of a 'flying carpet'?

holy crap! it just struck me that the so called flying carpet was some advanced alien technology and that the conspiracy theorists are right about alien contact in ancient times!

Re:Iran used to be called Persia...

[SnarfQuest]

It's a case of recycling. Take a roomba, use it to clean up an old persion carpet that your pet has ravaged, and you end up with this. There should be a warning sticker on them about this problem.

media 'wars' are more & more of less & les

[Anonymous Coward]

focusing on the images, as instructed, helps? who/what is the problem? smells BAD, like the same old fear/hate generation(al) machine has been turned up yet again? babys rule. that's inescapably perfect math.

alien crew also from a movie

[k6mfw]

You can tell the space aliens portrayed are also from a movie because they all speak English.

aliens?

[EonsWrath]

Does this mean we are going to be abducted by iranians tractor beams? The thought scares me. I like my cows... If they have flying saucer technology, then they *should* have tractor beam technology right? (beam me up, scotty)

Re:aliens?

[Sonny Yatsen]

Well, in Islam, animals must be slaughtered according to halal standards, which requires the animal to be drained of blood through the carotid and jugular (similar to kosher laws).

I think this explains all the dead cows drained of blood we saw on the X-Files.

Re:aliens?

[angel'o'sphere]

According to christian laws it is the same! We only allow the animal (or force it by law) to hit unconscious before it is slaughtered.
angel'o'sphere

Re:aliens?

[gtall]

The problem with tractor beams is when they are used from too great a distance. They have a tendency to merely pull up the skirts of women revealing...gasp...ankles. No self-respecting Ayatollah would want to see them.

Old news?

[pablo_max]

I recall reading this more than week ago on Engadget.

Re:Old news?

[Byzantine]

Welcome to Slashdot. You must be new here.

Re:Old news?

[Sonny Yatsen]

Unlike the news.

Re:Old news?

[Bobb Sledd]

Why? I like the news.

Actual Picture

[prakslash]

The news agency used a stock photo. The actual photo (clickable) is here.

Re:Actual Picture

[radarsat1]

+5 Informative.

Damn, I haven't had mod points since the update.

Re:Actual Picture

[Byzantine]

Well, that's boring. And that picture doesn't look like a saucer at all!

Re:Actual Picture

[ildon]

I haven't had mod points in like 3 years. :(

Re:Actual Picture

[Anonymous Coward]

That link currently shows what looks like an actual UAV that Iran might actually build.

Placeholder art?

Re:Actual Picture

[Anonymous Coward]

The actual photo is of a DraganFlyer X6 built by DraganFly in Saskatoon, Canada. I imagine the folks at DraganFly are busy answering questions this morning.

Re:Actual Picture

[mehrotra.akash]

I've been getting 15 almost every 3 days

Re:Actual Picture

[Ogive17]

It looks like they strapped a couple blades to a charcoal grill.

I guess the definition of a 'flying saucer' has been watered down a bit...

Re:Actual Picture

[MoonBuggy]

Any idea if that was the original image used, or if they changed it after people started laughing at them? The whole 'flying saucer' thing in the text seems like an odd way to put things if they were just talking about a normal drone.

Re:Actual Picture

[Tim C]

I haven't had mod points in 7 or 8 years. No idea what my crime was, but I wasn't even able to meta-mod for a few years.

Maybe if I did now I'd get mod points again, but frankly I don't feel like it.

Re:Actual Picture

[ildon]

I used to get mod points about twice a month, back when you could only get 5 points. Then suddenly nothing. It's annoying that the system is so opaque. I suppose I should try making a new account and seeing if that one gets points.

Re:Actual Picture

[Rick Richardson]

"Damn, I haven't had mod points since the update."

Ditto!!!

Re:Actual Picture

[Anonymous Coward]

That's a UK police drone reported by BBC years ago: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/6676809.stm

Re:Actual Picture

[WarlockSquire]

including the actual photo being taken directly from their site:
http://www.draganfly.com/images/overview/DF-X6/Draganflyer-X6.jpg

Re:Actual Picture

[ColdWetDog]

It looks like they strapped a couple blades to a charcoal grill.

I'm wondering if this isn't a translation error - the real reference calls is a "cuadrotour" - not speaking whatever language it's supposed to be in (? Farsi) it's hard to interpret but it sure looks like "quad rotor" which is a much better description of the picture than 'flying saucer'.

Re:Actual Picture

[SargentDU]

The actual picture looks nothing like a flying saucer. It looks like a helicopter body with two struts with engine pods for the rotors. So why is it called a "flying saucer?"

Re:Actual Picture

[vectra14]

I'm pretty sure that picture is of a draganflyer X6.

Not impossible they've installed custom additions (custom autopilot, radio links, etc)

Perhaps the "flying saucer" is a mis-translation on FARS' part..

Re:Actual Picture

[DigiShaman]

I had mod points recently, but it was the first time post Slashdot update. By design, I'm guessing they're given out more sparsely.

Re:Actual Picture

[Exitar]

Me too. No points for weeks (months?).

Re:Actual Picture

[rwa2]

Do you metamoderate? I usually get my 5 or 15 shortly after doing so.

I don't really care about moderation, though, it's such a chore. And I usually browse at -1 anyway, so no one else's moderation really impacts me either.

Re:Actual Picture

[SethThresher]

To save you the trouble, I can tell you that I haven't gotten any mod points yet. I registered just after the update, and my Karma's positive right now.

It's no big deal for me though at the moment, I don't feel like I've been here long enough to give it a proper job yet. I do have some friends that have started getting mod points like crazy though. Seriously, I know a guy who got mod four or five days in a row. He was tired of it by the end.

Re:Actual Picture

[brs336]

That picture is of a commercially available UAV. http://www.draganfly.com/images/overview/DF-X6/Draganflyer-X6.jpg

Re:Actual Picture

[Anonymous Coward]

Funny, I never seem to get any either. I wonder why...?

Re:Actual Picture

[Anonymous Coward]

That "Flying Saucer" sure looks like a helicopter variant!

Re:Actual Picture

[Anonymous Coward]

And how, exactly, can it be described as a flying "saucer"?

Re:Actual Picture

[headhot]

Oh no! The Iranians have discovered RC helicopter technology!

Re:Actual Picture

[mooingyak]

Didn't know they gave out 15. I've been getting 5 about twice a week. I usually don't use all of them (3 left right now).

Re:Actual Picture

[rwa2]

Good catch, but still doesn't look like the correct photo was used. The articles describe the Iranian device as a quad rotor... that stock picture of the DraganFlyer X6 has 6 rotors.

Anyway, here's a real picture of an Iranian UAV from last year: :P
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11052023

Re:Actual Picture

[mehrotra.akash]

So, 15 points was an introduction with the new system? I thought it was some weird type of bug.

Re:Actual Picture

[Anonymous Coward]

They lifted the picture directly from the Draganflyer X6 Overview web page. http://www.draganfly.com/uav-helicopter/draganflyer-x6/

Re:Actual Picture

[WhiteDragon]

The actual photo is of a DraganFlyer X6 built by DraganFly in Saskatoon, Canada. I imagine the folks at DraganFly are busy answering questions this morning.

As of 12:09 EDT, no mention of Zohal on the draganfly website.

Re:Actual Picture

[Syberz]

What the deuce?

Not only does it look nothing like at B-Movie spacecraft, but it's not even a saucer! It's a freaking remote controlled helicopter!

Is FARS the Fox News equivalent in Iran?

Re:Actual Picture

[Anonymous Coward]

Did you ever say anything bad about Obama? That would definately do it to you.

Re:Actual Picture

[SnarfQuest]

Are you sur e that isn't from a Steam Punk convention?

Re:Actual Picture

[Anonymous Coward]

That may be the photo, but ISNA uses stock photo as well all the time. I think a likely candidate might be the craft they show about 4:40 into the following piece on Iranian robots(it seems the staff over their was already reffering to it as a ufo-type craft).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Y9CYTm7co

I thought their soccer playing robots were pretty impressive.

Re:Actual Picture

[WhiteDragon]

The actual photo is of a DraganFlyer X6 built by DraganFly in Saskatoon, Canada. I imagine the folks at DraganFly are busy answering questions this morning.

This article
http://nycaviation.com/2011/03/iran-shows-off-flying-saucer-uav-which-is-not-round-looks-nothing-like-a-saucer/
  claims the drone will be made by Dorna Aerospace Company

Re:Actual Picture

[Anonymous Coward]

And "unveiling" too. Copying something that's been available for about three years or so in the R/C hobbyist marketplace isn't that much of an innovation. Heck I wouldn't be too surprised if they just bought a few and outright directly copied somebody else's product. In fact if you google "tricopter" + "camera" or "FPV" you'll see plenty of examples of these drones and their footage while being operated by fairly average people with a few extra dollars to spend on toys.

I was also disappointed that they didn't make any Coanda-effect flyers that would better fit the "saucer" definition. So far it's been the British and French which are leading the development of UAVs on that platform.

Re:Actual Picture

[thomasdz]

I've been granted multiple bunches of 15 mod points for over a year now and occasionally a bunch of 5
I metamoderate and post not very often, but when I do post, my posts generally are modded up and I think THAT's the key.

Re:Actual Picture

[Anonymous Coward]

Hi prakslash,

Here is where the actual photo came from : http://www.draganfly.com/

Made in Canada (eh)

Re:Actual Picture

[Runaway1956]

As rwa2 says - something of a chore. There have been times when I had to choose between moderating or commenting. I used up 15 points just Saturday, and here it is Tuesday, with 5 more points waiting to be used. They show up frequently, and sometimes I just let them go unused. Don't ask me how to get mod points! Mostly, I just blather away with my personal opinion, and rarely back it up with any kind of reference or citation. Phht.

It's often been said that the mod system is broken. I can't argue that!

I guess you could follow my example. Cutting comments about Microsoft, flippant comments about Apple, and derogatory comments about almost everything else except Linux, baseball, hotdogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet. (Someone will be along shortly to point out that neither Linux nor Linus is American, LOL!) And, you could adopt my politics. I hate 'em all. Doing so may or may not get you some moderator points, who knows?

Re:Actual Picture

[amicusNYCL]

I emailed Taco about that, he said that the 15 points are given to the top percentage of moderators whose mods are generally "accurate", I guess meaning that other mods typically agree with them.

Re:Actual Picture

[amicusNYCL]

So when they say they "built" a UAV, what they mean is that they ordered one from Canada, got the kit, and assembled it?

Re:Actual Picture

[Terrasque]

I have modpoints avaliable roughly 50% of the time..

But I almost never use them (Only if I see something very good with low rating), and I never meta-moderate.

Since I still use the old comment layout still, its kinda pain in the ass, since you have to scroll all the way to the bottom to click on the "Moderate" button (and if I don't do it rightaway, I forget it)

Re:Actual Picture

[EdIII]

LOL. You mean how Slashdot editors use stock photos for their articles? The irony.

Re:Actual Picture

[Geminii]

Lock up your wimmin! Sit on the front porch with your shotgun! Make loud statements about foreigners! :)

Re:Actual Picture

[Chris Mattern]

Yes, if you scroll down, you can find the exact photo the Iran news release used: http://www.draganfly.com/images/overview/DF-X6/Draganflyer-X6.jpg.

For an Iranian project, it's odd that they have a Canadian address.

Re:Actual Picture

[Swave An deBwoner]

The news agency used a stock photo. The actual photo (clickable) is here [www.isna.ir].

and here http://ing.dk/artikel/106472-engelsk-politi-brugte-en-foererloes-drone-under-en-anholdelse?utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nyheder

and here http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13608730?source=rss

and here http://www.gjfreepress.com/article/20091021/COMMUNITY_NEWS/910209967/-1/RSS01

and especially here http://www.draganfly.com/uav-helicopter/draganflyer-x6/

In Iran, we don't have actual photos like in your country.

Re:Actual Picture

[Anonymous Coward]

Remember Michael Sims? I used to get mod points regularly until I said something bad about him.

Re:Actual Picture

[ildon]

So perhaps a lot of my moderations a long time ago were reversed by meta-moderation so I was flagged as a bad moderator forever?

Re:Actual Picture

[ildon]

Off and on I'll metamoderate just to see if I'll randomly get mod points. No dice so far. I was getting mod points pretty consistently for a while, and I've had this username for like... 7-8 years? I know I've been lurking since ~2000 but I don't think I registered for a few years.

Re:Actual Picture

[BrianPRabbit]

I could be wrong but I think I figured out a key piece in the puzzle concerning scientific inquiry in Iran. Could it be They don't know what a "saucer" is? Granted, it could be a translation error but it's worth verifying.

Re:Actual Picture

[Is0m0rph]

I haven't got mod points in ages and CmdrTaco's sister is my neighbor.

British Rail Flyting Saucer ripoff

[Anonymous Coward]

I bet they just copied this old British Rail design:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_flying_saucer

Greetings Earthlings

[Tablizer]

"We come in peace.....except for the jews."

Re:Greetings Earthlings

[Anonymous Coward]

Jews in Space

Richard Dreyfuss

[DnemoniX]

Well the blog author makes a tongue-in-cheek shout out to Richard Dreyfuss, so I'm pretty sure he is making a reference to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The picture is not from that movie. It certainly appears to be from something crappy, perhaps just the now legendary Iranian Photoshop Labs.

Not Surprised

[Anonymous Coward]

In Iran, we call them False News for a good reason!

Imitation is the highest form of flattery

[cypherwise]

Nice to see FARS News is taking some cues from the highest form of American journalism. I always knew that deep down they were jealous and wanted to be just like us. Kudos to you FARS News!

Re:Imitation is the highest form of flattery

[Anonymous Coward]

Nice to see FARS News is taking some cues from the highest form of American journalism. I always knew that deep down they were jealous and wanted to be just like us. Kudos to you FARS News!

FARSi Journalists have a way to go.

Imagine a copy machine portrait of the Ayatollah with instructions that is it good luck to sit on it.

none of the sides offers any truth whatsoever

[Anonymous Coward]

has to do with the weather again (fog of war)? so, the modified 'facts', just keep billowing (exploding is another term) into more & more fear & hatred, so that works?

end of parent; less & less LIFE

In related news..

[Anonymous Coward]

In related news the man never went to moon back at 69' -- turns out the show was performed on earth.

another article

[WhiteDragon]

http://nycaviation.com/2011/03/iran-shows-off-flying-saucer-uav-which-is-not-round-looks-nothing-like-a-saucer/

Re:another article

[WarlockSquire]

actual picture is from a commercial product:
http://www.draganfly.com/images/overview/DF-X6/Draganflyer-X6.jpg

Re:another article

[DigiShaman]

That thing looks like something out Terminator.

Re:another article

[Anonymous Coward]

As mentioned above, that photo is actually a DraganFlyer X6 built by DraganFly in Saskatoon, Canada.

Re:another article

[WhiteDragon]

actual picture is from a commercial product:
http://www.draganfly.com/images/overview/DF-X6/Draganflyer-X6.jpg

True, but as other posters have pointed out, that photo does not match the description of the Iranian plane (described as a quad-rotor)

They misspelled it.

[Anonymous Coward]

it should be FARCE news agency.

It's unmanned

[omidaladini]

They claim it's an "unmanned" vehicle carrying a GPS and a camera. So it can be small in size and you don't need rocket science to make that. It could even be a flying saucer toy equipped with GPS, camera and fancy cover.

Re:It's unmanned

[Nadaka]

Is it really wise for them to use GPS?

You know... the service provided and controlled by the US military?

Never mind, nothing to see here, move along.

Which is more funny

[Anonymous Coward]

1. Slashdot posting an article about how Iran built a "flying saucer" and used a B-movie image as proof.
2. Iran actually building a UAV, slashdot contributors and editors not reading the article carefully, Iran unintentionally making slashdot look bad.

My vote is on 1.

Follow up question

[Low Ranked Craig]

Why are people from the Middle East so bad at Photoshop?

Re:Follow up question

[Anonymous Coward]

They only have the GIMP?

Re:Follow up question

[IrquiM]

Because it cost them 8 months salary to buy an old version, and another 4 years to get a computer to run it on!

not Richard Dreyfus, Godzilla

[rjejr]

That may come from a movie (or not), but more "DAM" or "Monster Zero" judging from the background trees.

Re:another article with a worse pic

[aoeu]

Zohal (from the Arabic for "Saturn") is a quadrotor device which was designed and developed jointly by Farnas Aerospace Company and Iranian Aviation and Space Industries Association (IASIA).

and a pic of an aircraft with six rotors.

bullshit

[davFr]

slashdot is getting like Ding mixed with Fox News.

Don't

[Anonymous Coward]

Mess with the Zohal

What about Sammy Hagar

[snspdaarf]

Does this mean Sammy was (shudder) probed by Iranians?

laughable! But

[Anonymous Coward]

... All things start small. It won't be long before they have a full scale saucer like craft loaded with weapons. That won't be anything to sneeze on.

This smells of propoganda.

[CherniyVolk]

Iran has scientists and engineers. They can build nuclear power plants, and other advanced technologies. The US would have you believe they are trying to build a nuclear bomb. Iran engineers and manufactures their own long range missiles, so they have the proverbial "rocket scientists" and apparently "competent" ones too.

What's the point of all this?

If you think, Iran, or any other country is unable to design and make their own "UAV", you have GOT to be drinking some serious kool-aid. They aren't stupid and they aren't dumb. Whoever from Iran reporting this story probably isn't allowed access to real photos, so they grab something from their little scrapbook and publish the story. Here in the US, we are so stupid to think that Iran scientists and government have nothing better to do than sit around a table and come up with stories to tell the world; for no purpose or goal at all?

Stop acting retarded people. You want stupid stuff printed in American stories, look at Popular Mechanics. "Oh, but those are artists renditions..." what's the difference!?

Re:This smells of propoganda.

[halivar]

Here in the US, we are so stupid to think that Iran scientists and government have nothing better to do than sit around a table and come up with stories to tell the world; for no purpose or goal at all?

*snicker* Ok. I'll bite. How's that cure for AIDS coming along?

Re:This smells of propoganda.

[Anonymous Coward]

Even the official press releases are showing photos of other people's UAV's.

Me thinks it's all bullshit.

Re:This smells of propoganda.

[Anonymous Coward]

You must be new here. Wait... that id.

But seriously I'm getting sick of this shit too.

Re:This smells of propoganda.

[cavreader]

Raw human intelligence is the one human trait that is evenly distributed across the planet regardless of country or racial barriers. However those who posess the intelligence need the opportunities to take advantage of their skills and gain applicable knowledge. The opportunities available ARE based on country and sometimes race. A lot of Irans top scientists left Iran for other countries after 1979 and a lot of Iranian students do not return home after attending school in a foreign country. Missile and drone technology is not hard to replicate after you have seen someone else do it. In the case of drones the most difficult part would be the software and satellite technology. The US pays for the research and development needed to advance their technology and alot of countries then try to duplicate the results with varying degrees of success. Look at China's new stealth jet. They didn't need a large R&D budget once they got a look at the F-22 capabilities. Whether they can duplicate the computer technology and exotic materials is an open question.

Re:This smells of propoganda.

[Anonymous Coward]

The US would have you believe they are trying to build a nuclear bomb.

Oh, they aren't building a bomb. What they are doing is building reactors of a specific type that, once fully operational gives them all the knowledge and materials to make a bomb in a matter of a few months pretty much anytime they feel like it. It's very sly.

"Oh, but those are artists renditions..." what's the difference!?

They usually label them artists renditions?

They aren't stupid and they aren't dumb.

No, but the Iranian government does make some pretty outlandish claims periodically, or over-trumpet things that aren't actually all that impressive. When they do this they should be called on it. For example if they did actually buy an off-the-shelf kit and strap a camera to it that's hardly a scientific achievement worth trumpeting. And, if they did actually build something, where is video/picture showing it in operation? To quote Dr. Strangelove "What's the point of building a deterrent if you don't tell anyone about it?!?"

Re:This smells of propoganda.

[CompMD]

YES.

Not enough people get this. Some of the finest aerospace engineers, aerodynamicists, propulsion experts, and space vehicle engineers are Iranian. Many managed to get out so they could realize their potential and live in the US now. Both industry and NASA have a multitude of exceptionally bright and experienced Iranian scientists and engineers.

Iran has significant experience in UAV design. A little known fact is that they are the first nation to deploy an armed UAV in a military conflict (Iran-Iraq War).

Robot Sentry

[rlp]

A a killer robot sentry.

Iran's master plan...

[polyp2000]

All your base are belong to us ?

N...

MPAA army

[Is0m0rph]

The MPAA has announced a full scale invasion of Iran for copyright infringement.

Looking at the photo, I can only say...

[sirgoran]

"cough, cough" Bullsh*t "cough, cough"

Reminds me of

[arielCo]

Iran Claims Two New Supercomputers:
The pictures show half-filled racks of old commodity servers + storage. Quoting myself:

I just checked out the pictures, and it looks really, really fishy. All you can see is several angles of the same 4 cabinets with 16 1U servers each and one big-ass storage array: 12 disks/cage x 8 cages/cabinet x 8 cabinets = 768 disks; at 135 GB each TOPS with 1+1 mirroring, that'd be ~ 72 TB.

Either they have a notoriously incompetent photographer, or it's the grownup version of a hastily put together science-fair mockup.

So, they're no strangers to silly attempts at faking news, or they're really bad at illustrating real ones. Either way these journalists suck at whatever they're doing.

Re:another article with a worse pic

[WhiteDragon]

Zohal (from the Arabic for "Saturn") is a quadrotor device which was designed and developed jointly by Farnas Aerospace Company and Iranian Aviation and Space Industries Association (IASIA).

and a pic of an aircraft with six rotors.

hehe, good catch. I guess photos of the actual plane are yet to be posted.

COS

[sorak]

The unmanned flying saucer, named "Zohal", was unveiled in a ceremony attended by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

They stole this from L. Ron Hubbard, didn't they?

Build == Assembled From Kit

[ryanisflyboy]

This is what they "built:"
http://www.draganfly.com/uav-helicopter/draganflyer-x6/

"Iranian aerospace scientists have built an unmanned flying saucer..." Or just copied a picture from a website from a company that actually does.

Wiliam, Penny

[Anonymous Coward]

And you- you bubble headed ninny-
Come Quickly!

Iran: The North Carolina of the Middle East

[RexDevious]

Anyone know how to say "like," in Arabic?

Like the Chinese

[pgn674]

This is like when the Chinese military used Top Gun footage, except that really happened, and this didn't.

Date check

[Anonymous Coward]

Checks date....no not April First.

FARS

[francisstp]

Fars ("farce") actually means "joke" in french, so that might be a clue. :P

For the record

[ildon]

In case it matters, my Karma has been "Excellent" for at least 6 years and never dropped below that.