[Oatka]

I read somewhere that our intelligence people got REALLY upset when they found out how much the Russians knew about our first nuclear sub, the Nautilus. Then it was found that they bought a kit similar to this, which gave away a lot of info.

Sometimes spying is SO simple.

[tanknetter]

I read somewhere that our intelligence people got REALLY upset when they found out how much the Russians knew about our first nuclear sub, the Nautilus. Then it was found that they bought a kit similar to this, which gave away a lot of info.

Sure, but sometimes it isn't all that effective either.

Recall that in the mid-1980s Testors Co. came out with the "F-19 Stealth Fighter" model kit. There were stories at the time about how guys from the Soviet Embassy had bought examples from the old Squadron Shop (hobby shop) in Wheaton MD.

First time I ever went to the shop, about 5 or 6 years later, I asked the owner (Roy) about it. Sure enough, they'd come out. Repeatedly. Bought every example of the kit they could get their hands on over the course of several weekly deliveries.

But, as it turned out, the "F-19" looked absolutely nothing like the REAL Stealth Fighter (F-117A). AND, had it been scaled up into an actual aircraft, would have been incapable of flight.