As I said above:
"And don't forget the Buran was virtually a carbon-copy of the Shuttle. Its engines--the RD-0120 (not to be confused with the RD-120) were copies of the SSME with a slightly larger nozzle and a slightly lower thrust. The Russians filed Freedom of Information Act requests (through their embassy) and were given the blueprints, reports, and other documents."
This applies to the vehicle, tiles, tankage, and all other major components, not just the engines.
--Boris
Buran is carbon copy? Check this site:
http://www.buran.ru/htm/molniya.htm ..
I don't think that Buran is carbon copy. It looks a like but all the cars and airplanes of the world look alike. Inside they are different.
Buran has few predessesors. Like Bor vehicle and Spiral. I think that russian designers used some information from Shuttle project if as you say there was blueprints available. But to copy Shuttle onbase of it is impossible.
If you are engineer then you agree. Can you copy RD -180 engine if you eevn have it in your warehouse? Not talking about blueprints of that engine.
BTW in what year those blueprints was gone into Soviet Embassy?