American accused of trying to sell F-5 to Iran

The Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 12/17/2010 | John Shiffman

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

When a certain F-5 Tiger fighter jet outlived its military use years ago, it was sold for surplus, and the plane became the toy of a rich Californian. He leased it as a big prop for Hollywood movies.

This year, the fighter jet became the star of a real-life sting - against an American accused of trying to sell it to Iran.

The F-5 is the centerpiece of an undercover Homeland Security investigation that stretched from Philadelphia to Los Angeles to Budapest, Hungary.

An arms broker from California has been charged with trying to sell the jet for $3.6 million to Philadelphia-based agents who were pretending to work on behalf of the Iranian military.

The case was unsealed Wednesday. Marc Knapp, 36, a broker from Simi Valley, Calif., is charged with violating the arms embargo, and is scheduled to plead guilty next month in federal court in Wilmington. The unidentified wealthy owner of the plane was not implicated.

[bunkerhill7]

F-5`er 86`d

[Professional]

Dude, WTF were you thinking? Stupidest Californian, and that takes some doing...

[SIDENET]

Knapp is also accused of attempting to sell other top-shelf avionics to Iran - F-14 ejection seats, anti-gravity flight suits, and search-and-rescue beacons.

WOW! I really want one of those anti-gravity suits!

[Jet Jaguar]

ping

[Jet Jaguar]

They are called G-suits.

They compress your thighs, arms and midsection during high G manuevers.

They help you avoid GLOC.

They work.

[CrazyIvan]

I think I remember this plane being at Oshkosh. It also was
in the movie Dragnet and several others.

[sinanju]

I think we all know what a g-suit is.

But we really want to see this amazing anti-gravity suit that lets you fly without an airplane around you.

[sinanju]

The “Dragnet” scene popped right into my head when I read that.

But how could anyone convince the Iranians to buy such an antique? Did the Shah’s air force have F-5’s? Maybe it was worth it to them for the spare parts?

[Comparative Advantage]

Why did DoD sell this plane intact as surplus to begin with?

[Comparative Advantage]

“Maybe it was worth it to them for the spare parts?”

Thst would be my guess.

[kbennkc]

WOW! I really want one of those anti-gravity suits!

Don't let you wife just hang it over the the clothes line like mine did. I had to sign for that thing too.

[Army Air Corps]

Thanks for the ping.

[I see my hands]

It happens to me once or twice a year and I figure it's pretty common. Where I stand up -and my blood doesn't- so I get light headed. Squeezing the butt cheeks and thighs together gets me back to normal. Not instantaneous and a little unpleasant but it works. Obviously, the same principal as the G suit.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Its not unusual. The list is divided in 2 categories; the first one is the list of all combat military jets and the second includes all advanced jet trainers.I believe they take out the vital parts

[A.A. Cunningham]

arms

[A.A. Cunningham]

Did the Shah’s air force have F-5’s?

Did and the Ayatollah's IRIAF still does.

[Tainan]

Info about the F - 5 a/c.

If this is the one I'm thinking of, it was (or still is) owned by a fairly well-known actor who is a big fan of ex-mil a/c.
Good guy & a good pilot.

[SIDENET]

Oh, I was hoping for something WAY more exciting than a G-suit.

Then again, I used to believe that the rotodome on my E-3 was a flying-saucer "escape pod".

;-)

[SIDENET]

LOL.