Speaking of design rip-offs.....

[Felix/FFDS]

I suggest that the Antonov 124 and Lockheed C-5A are merely jet engined ripoffs of the Me323 Gigant!

Original ideas, right - even the US is now looking into wing warping for control surfaces... (only now it's called "adaptive wing geometry")

[Hagar]

There's not too many original ideas, simply "improvements" on established principles. I seem to remember the all-flying tailplane (horizontal stab) featured on the F-86 was first used in the very early days of powered flight. Maybe before WWI.

PS. The Wright Flyer was a canard. Strange how these things come & go, rather like the fashion industry. My wedding suit (not birthday suit) has been back in fashion several times since I was married in 1968. I'm certain that if I wait long enough it will be again.

[Woodlouse2002]

I am informed birthday suits have to be quite old before going out of fashion.

[Mr. Bones]

same as for the Tu-144 and Concorde (read the discussion we had a while back...i don't want to start it again   )
and the Tu-160 and B-1
and...there are so many more...the latest one is the A300-600ST and the new 747 variant they gonna use to deliver 7E7 parts...and the list is long...

[Crumbso]

I read an article on b-1 and tu-160 and the tupolev outperforms it in almost all areas. That was a big surprise for me

[ATI_7500]

Focke Wulff Ta-183 -> MiG-15
Messerschmitt P.1xxx -> Bell X-5,F-14,etc...

[Hagar]

Focke Wulff Ta-183 -> MiG-15
Messerschmitt P.1xxx -> Bell X-5,F-14,etc...

Given time I could quote plenty more examples. Many British, Soviet & US post-WWII prototypes were based on German research.

PS. How else would you get from this


to this in 10 years?