[Robert A Cook PE]

Air flows and designs have to be similar if the two aircraft are to be able to fly efficiently.

But having said that, it's more true that they "overbuilt" this to be bigger than the C-5, rather than "just" support the USSR-clone of the Space Shuttle.

Propaganda was the source of much of the Soviet pressure in military spending: typically, they'd either make "one of" a bigger or more capable US machine, or many tens times a replacement for the more capable US machine. They'd make one plane (their SST) before the Concorde and Boeing supersonic transport, but it would not be as successful. Or they'd make several thousand MORE tanks, but each tank was less capable - but delivered faster, than the US M-1.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks for the added info about the US C-5 and the Russian plane. And thanks to your son for his service to our country.