Actually they admitted they copied the US Shuttle.

More I think about Buran, it is clear that the politician who decided to
"copy" the shuttle and not the engineers. Russian industry simply was not
setup to produce space qualified $20 nuts and bolts like we do. If they
made special run to make such nuts and bolts it would have cost them $100 a
peace. Buran must have been reengineered to be able for them to build it
there. That's a problem though. It's going to get heavier than a US
shuttle. Reentry and flight parameters will no longer be the same do to
added weight. It's amazing that they made it to work in the first place.

Well, the Astronauts never flew it. That tells you something.

Emilio.

Scott Ferrin wrote in message
...
On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 12:52:53 +0200, "Tamas Feher"
wrote:

If you give set of requirements to number of different
contractors, the end result comes up to be very similar.

You mean:
Space Shuttle --Buran


Actually they admitted they copied the US Shuttle.



Concorde -- Tu-144

ISTR there was a question of espionage there.



F-15 -- MiG-25

About the only similarities there is they both have two vertical
tails, two engines, and ramp intakes. So does the Tomcat, Flanker,
Fulrum. And both the Vigilante and Rapier had ramp intakes and twin
engines before that.



Northrop A-9 -- Szu-25


And A-6 and F-89 and numerous others. I think it falls into the
category of "there's only so many ways to make a plane". It actually
resembles an F-4 more than it does the A-9



etc.

Spies 'r' us!



It seems to be rare that exact copies are ever done but copying
generalities happens all the time. For example LERXs/strakes were in
vogue for a while there.