which was the real biggest fighter in WW2?

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I would say that it would have to be something like a Me-110 Night-fighter or the P-38 Lightning. These ones were on a massive scale, although they are more really fighter-bombers....
 

I believe that Corsair would carry three dropped tanks as weight as Thunderbolt carried under centre line of fuselage and inboard wing plus four or five pylons for roket at outboard of wing each side. This would be a bit greater than Thunderbolt, if we considered payload.
 
Apples vs oranges.

The P-38 was mostly used as a single seat day fighter. It should be compared to aircraft like the Spitfire, Me-109, A6M, P-47 etc.

The Me-110 was mostly used as a two seat night fighter from 1940 onward. The British Beaufighter night fighter is probably the closest comparison.

The P-61 was a late war night fighter. It should be compared to the Ju-88G and Mosquito night fighter variants.

Despite being pressed into service as a bomber interceptor, the Me-410 was a light bomber. It should be compared to the A-20 and Mosquito bomber variants.
 
If we want to talk real beasts, the Douglas A-1 Skyraider would have beat all other single-seat, single-engined aircraft hands down in sheer size, weight and ordinance.

Though it was designed and first flew during WWII, it entered service after the war ended.

Height: 15' 8.25"/4.78m
Length: 38' 10"/11.84m
Wingspan: 50' .25"/15.25m
Wing area: 400.3'²/37.19m²
Empty weight: 11,968lb./5,429kg
Loaded weight: 18,106lb./8,213kg
 
davebender said:
The Skyraider was a fabulous CAS aircraft. However it was not a fighter nor was it anywhere near operational during WWII.
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Not sure if you noticed my previous post, where I mentioned "Though it was designed and first flew during WWII, it entered service after the war ended." as a side note, much like the comment posted about the P-75.

And *technically*, the Ju88 was designed as a bomber, yet flew as a NachtJager.
 
Shortround6 said:
One of my favorites for largest fighter although it didn't see production was the Fisher P-75:
Click to expand...

I'm afraid it didn't improve any over the P-51 or P-47 and fell quite short of the contemporary and impressive XP-72, my favorite of the could-have-been heavys.

Republic XP-72 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

davebender said:
The single seat Do-335A would fit into that category. At 5,210 kg empty it weighs about as much as a P-47.
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At an empty weight of 16,280 lbs, or 5,300 lbs more than the P-47N, the Do-335A-1 was a very heavy dual engine fighter, closer to the weight of a B-25, but still short of the P-61.

GrauGeist said:
If we want to talk real beasts, the Douglas A-1 Skyraider would have beat all other single-seat, single-engined aircraft hands down in sheer size, weight and ordinance.
Click to expand...

The A-1 was not a fighter but an attack aircraft and was not a WWII bird. However, if you did include it you would also have to include the more impressive, from a performance standpoint, but much less successful contemporary of the A-1 the Martin AM-1 Mauler. This is a monster I have seen at National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola.

Height: 16'10"
Length: 41'2"
Wingspan: 50'
Wing area: 490'²
Empty weight: 14,500lb.
Loaded weight: 19.200lb.

Martin AM Mauler - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Like the Mosquito, the Ju-88 was intended as a multi-role airframe. Night fighter variants were not jury rigged bombers as was the case with Blenheim and Do-217 bombers.

The Ju-88A was designed as a light bomber / heavy dive bomber.

The Ju-88C was designed as a heavy fighter but quickly evolved into a night fighter.

The Ju-88D was designed as a strategic reconnaissance aircraft.

The Ju-88G was designed as a night fighter.

The Ju-88P was desgined as a CAS aircaft.
 
I don't consider that a seperate category. What matters is the role the aircraft was designed to perform. For instance the Me-262A is a single seat day fighter even though it has two engines. So is the P-38.
 
OK folks, this has been entertaining but consider this - in today's world an aircraft's size (large or small) is determined by its weight and 12,500 pounds is the line. Are we looking at size, weight, or a combination of the two?
 

With a empty weight of 18,000 lbs, still much less than the P-61 at 22,000 lbs.
 
No argument there. Most American combat aircraft were heavy compared to the competition during WWII. And I think the U.S. Army Air Corps went out of their way to establish an obesity record with the purpose built P-61 night fighter.
 
davparlr said:
I'm afraid it didn't improve any over the P-51 or P-47 and fell quite short of the contemporary and impressive XP-72, my favorite of the could-have-been heavys.
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I didn't say it was any good.
The first design was a real collection of spare parts flying in formation.

Without getting into converted bombers,the Vultee XP-54 sure takes some beating for a single engine, single seat fighter in the size category if not weight.



and a contender for the fighter category even though it had a bomb bay is the Boeing XF8B


A bit smaller if heavier and with more fighter like performance.
 
FLYBOYJ said:
OK folks, this has been entertaining but consider this - in today's world an aircraft's size (large or small) is determined by its weight and 12,500 pounds is the line. Are we looking at size, weight, or a combination of the two?
Click to expand...

I think it depends on what is meant by "biggest".

while the FAA may make rules based on weight, I am not sure that it translates well into common perception.
Consider two WW II Lockheed twin engine planes.
A P-38J or L and a Lodestar transport, Which is larger or bigger?






The P-38 pilot can't take a walk to the toilet or have coffee served by a stewardess.
The P-38 is heavier
 
That's not so unusual at the upper end of the weight spectrum.

The Do-335A had a 1,000kg bomb bay.

Mosquito and Ju-88 night fighter variants had bomb bays. I suspect they normally contained radar equipment, additional fuel or additional cannon rather then bombs. However capability to carry bombs is useful when these aircraft are employed as intruders over enemy airfields.
 
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