Largest ever fighter or single-seat aircraft?

[Kyleb]

Rayjay,

I think there's been confusion because people have read the question differently. I was responding to "kyleb" who nominated the A-12 and said that the Tu-28 didn't count because it wasn't "single seat", but I stated that if he was going to say that was the interpretation, then he was incorrect as well as the question would have been an "and" (i.e. Single Seat AND Fighter) versus the "OR" that is clearly stated on the OP by you. I'm glad you've cleared it up and reiterated that the question is "Single Seat" OR "Fighter" so there are two possibilities.

Lots of weirdness in this thread. I've looked at my posts twice and still can't find (and don't remember) making any comments about the Tu-28.

As far as re-trenching, the thread title contained the question" "Largest ever fighter or single seat aircraft" IMO that scope includes all single seaters and all fighters (whether 1 or 100 seats).

The body of the original post contained the question "what is the largest (either by weight or physical size - length / wingspan / height) "single-seat" aircraft of any type and also specifically a "fighter" too?" I read that question as "largest aircraft that is a single seat fighter". IMO that's a different question or a re-trench, whether it was meant that way or not.

So, there could be multiple interpretations, depending on if you go off of the body of the initial message or the title of the thread. The A-12 response was my answer to the question in the title of the thread, because I believe it was the largest (heaviest) single seat aircraft, and was heavier than any fighter too...

The other re-trench (IMO) was that several posts into the thread the original poster added a request for people to include weights/dimensions/etc. Nothing wrong with asking for the info, but it does change the question.

That is all. Didn't intend to cause a disturbance...

[CAPFlyer]

Kyle, I apologize. It was Joe Scheil that originally said the Tu-28 "wasn't valid". You jumped in a couple posts later with the "retrench" that supported Joe's argument and then added the A-12 as your nominee, quoting my post which talks about the YF-12 and Su-27 as suitable replacements if the question was "retrenched" and was "AND" instead of "OR". I took that as agreeing that the question was "AND" but then nominating an aircraft that doesn't fit that requirement.

[Kyleb]

Kyle, I apologize. It was Joe Scheil that originally said the Tu-28 "wasn't valid". You jumped in a couple posts later with the "retrench" that supported Joe's argument and then added the A-12 as your nominee, quoting my post which talks about the YF-12 and Su-27 as suitable replacements if the question was "retrenched" and was "AND" instead of "OR". I took that as agreeing that the question was "AND" but then nominating an aircraft that doesn't fit that requirement.

No blood, no foul. And I'll flip ya for the first round at SOS Brothers, if you're familiar...

[quemerford]

Rayjay,

As we sit now, I would put forth that the following are your "winners" -

The Myasishchev M-55 "Mystic" as the largest Single Seat aircraft built with a wingspan of 122' 11", Length of 75', MTOW of 52,470lb.

...except that, as discussed, it's not anywhere near the largest.

[menards]

Does the B-58 fit in here anywhere? while technically a 4 engine medium bomber, it only had a single pilot station in a fighter like cockpit layout. Must have been nuts to grab a hold of those 4 throttle levers and push them fwd!...

[shrike]

Does the B-58 fit in here anywhere? while technically a 4 engine medium bomber, it only had a single pilot station in a fighter like cockpit layout. Must have been nuts to grab a hold of those 4 throttle levers and push them fwd!...

Then that opens the door to the Lancaster as well.

[CAPFlyer]

While the B-58 would be the heaviest (but not largest), I don't think it counts since it's not a fighter and it's not single seat, so it doesn't fit into either category. The question was one, the other, or both. As it's got 3 seats and is a bomber, it's none.

[CAPFlyer]

Rayjay,

As we sit now, I would put forth that the following are your "winners" -

The Myasishchev M-55 "Mystic" as the largest Single Seat aircraft built with a wingspan of 122' 11", Length of 75', MTOW of 52,470lb.

...except that, as discussed, it's not anywhere near the largest.

Solar Impulse would fit as the largest Single Seat Experimental aircraft true, but I was thinking more along the lines of production aircraft, which the M-55 was/is.

[hercules130]

Trumped by Su-35 and matched by F-15, but not mentioned (or I missed) The F-105D at 64'07"

[CAPFlyer]

Trumped by Su-35 and matched by F-15, but not mentioned (or I missed) The F-105D at 64'07"

F-105D length was 64'7", but its wingspan was just shy of 35', well under that of the leading contenders. It's MTOW of 52,536lb is also short of the Su-35.

Also, many would dispute it's "Fighter" designation since it was never employed as such and the most "fighter" armament it ever carried was an AIM-9 Sidewinder and its gun. They were hardly capable of sustained high-g maneuvers, and while fast (I know several F-105 pilots that tell stories of out running their F-4 escorts by briefly lighting the AB, going supersonic and then COASTING at MIL power for miles and miles while the F-4s had to stay in AB to stay with them), I compare the F-105 and F-4 as fighter bombers where the F-105 is a Chevy S-10 Lightning and the F-4 is a Camaro. Both very fast in a straight line, but the F-4 handles much better, just not "Ferrari" handles.