

Tsar Bomba: Largest weapon ever used. - VonGuard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_Bomba

======
Zenst
The plane that dropped this bomb would be a larger weapon given a plane can be
used as a weapon. Along the same lines aircraft carriers would be the largest
weapons I could think of. Though many countries have dabbled into weather
modification, then there are gas and other chemical weapons. So is it largest
based upon volume or size or weight or it being 100% dedicated weapon? Another
historical example beyond those large train driven guns the germans made would
be during World War One in which it was common to dig a large tunnel under the
enemy fortifications and place tons and tons of explosives under the enemy in
which you would eventualy set of blowing up the enemy -
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Messines_(1917)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Messines_\(1917\))
being a very interesting read in itself involving hundreds of tonnes of
explosives. Though like landmines not all got set off and case here
[http://rense.com/general47/50000lbWW1bomb.htm](http://rense.com/general47/50000lbWW1bomb.htm)
about a 50,000 lbs bomb (22.6796 metric ton), which is still lighter than this
Tsar Bomba. Though more background upon such explosive type bombs can be
gleamed here
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnelling_companies_of_the_Roy...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnelling_companies_of_the_Royal_Engineers)
and mention is made of a of a far heavier:

""As preparation for the attack, six mines were detonated on 27 March 1916.
The largest of these was at St Eloi, dug by the 1st Canadian Tunnelling
Company, consisting of 95,600 pounds (43,400 kg) of explosive. This allowed
the capture of St Eloi by the British 41st Division.[20] This choice reduced
the total explosive to 450 tonnes. The evening before the attack, General
Plumer remarked to his staff, "Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow,
but we shall certainly change the geography." ""

So personaly I'd not say it was the largest or is the largest weapon ever
made. But certainly the most scariest.

~~~
blackjack160
Largest is indeed a misnomer. It is the most powerful.

------
triplesec
Yes, it's amazing and I look up this stuff from time to time, but (and forgive
me if I'm being obtuse and missing the point of HN) why is this standard
wikipedia page hacker news?

------
a3n
> Designer Julii Borisovich Khariton, _Andrei Sakharov_ , Victor Adamsky, Yuri
> Babayev, Yuri Smirnov, and Yuri Trutnev

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Sakharov](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Sakharov)

------
dingaling
Fortunately for a USAF crew the detonation yield was somewhat less than the
Soviets planned; a KC-135 had been modified under the _Big Safari_ programme
to obtain intel, but strayed so close that the airframe suffered scorching!

One fortunate crew counted their blessings that day...

------
ArtifTh
And irony here is that one of the guys, who were developing this thing, was
awarded Nobel Peace Prize later.

~~~
omonra
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Sakharov#Turn_to_activis...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Sakharov#Turn_to_activism)

------
njharman
Boom goes the dynamite.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W45DRy7M1no](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W45DRy7M1no)

