BllFs6 wrote:

The Soviets?



Thats more funny than you think...

....not than me...

Because if I recall correctly....they outright stole design info on the
Concorde....and the French/Brits let them do it and put a few "flaws" in there
to boot...

I knew that :-)

After a few test flights, the Russian "me too SST" broke up in flight...

Apparently several Tu-144s crashed. Of course the most spectacular was
at the Paris Air show some time in the early 70s IIRC. The story is
that the French were flying a Mirage up in the clouds to get info on the
Tu-144 during a demonstration flight. The airliner pilot didn't know
about it, spotted him, and in the maneuvering to avoid stalled his
engines. In the ensuing dive to restart he was running out of altitude,
pulled up, and ripped the wings off. NOVA did a show on it a few years ago.

Shawn