Russia's Space Shuttles

[Kwacky]

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They clearly had someone in NASA nicking information

[beermonster]

The world's largest aeroplane (the Antonov An-225 Mriya) was built to transport the Buran. Fascinating era right at the end of the cold war.

[D41]

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They clearly had someone in NASA nicking information

Hmmm....not sure....I remember at the time even NASA stated that the similarities between the Russian shuttle and the NASA types were not exactly a case of the Russians 'copying' the US type, and simply reflected the fact that the basic layout of the two vehicles represented the most efficient shape, size, etc. for a re-usable space vehicle given the technology of the era.

[Monty]

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They clearly had someone in NASA nicking information

Hmmm....not sure....I remember at the time even NASA stated that the similarities between the Russian shuttle and the NASA types were not exactly a case of the Russians 'copying' the US type, and simply reflected the fact that the basic layout of the two vehicles represented the most efficient shape, size, etc. for a re-usable space vehicle given the technology of the era.

Good point, not really thought of it like that before and probably true of that Tupolev 144 thing as well. Suppose there's only so many ways you can make a flying bus do mach 2.