Major Shaitan Singh
SENIOR MEMBER
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The lightest fighter on this list of titanic pugilists weighs in at an astonishing 31 tones, the heaviest at over 63 tones, is the same weight as 12 adult elephants. These formidable fighter aircraft were created in such generous proportions for a reason, and are generally long-ranged, very fast and extremely well armed. Almost half of them failed to reach front-line service, often crippled by the huge costs incurred by such heavy advanced fighter projects. The joker in the pack is the Boeing YB-40, a long-range escort fighter version of the B-17 bomber. Armed with up to 30 ‘fifty-cal’ guns (and sometimes a 40-mm cannon) this ferocious gunship proved too heavy and draggy to keep up with the bombers it was created to protect. After a 25 aircraft operational trial it was cancelled.
The weight given is the maximum take-off, apart from when otherwise specified.
14. Maple Regrets: Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow
Year: 1958
Max take-off weight: 31,120 kg (68,605 lb)
Length: 23.71 m (77 ft 9 in)
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13. Military Industrial Oedipus Complex: Lockheed Martin F-35A/C Lighting II
Year: 2006
Max take-off weight: 31,800 kg (70,000 lbs)
Length: 15.67 m (50 ft 5 in)
12. Le Strike Eagle: Dassault Mirage 4000
Year: 1979
Max take-off weight: 32,000 kg (70,548 lb)
Length: 18.70 m (61 ft 4 in)
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11. The Reluctant Gunbus: Boeing YB-40 Flying Fortress
Year: 1943
Max take-off weight: 34,000 kg (74,000 lb)
Length: 22.6 m (74 ft 9 in)
10. Iranian Topgun: Grumman F-14 Tomcat
Year: 1970
Weight: 33,720 kg (74,350 lb)
Length: 19.1 m (62 ft 9 in)
9.Heavyweight acrobat: Sukhoi Su-30
Year: 1989
Weight: 34,500 kg (76,060 lb)
Length: 21.935 m (72 ft 9 in)
8. The Unborn Oligarch: Sukhoi PAK FA
Year: 2010
Weight: 35,000 kg (77,160 lb)
Length: 19.8 m (65 ft)