I missed this thread last month. But Monty is right, photographers need to first find the lens, and then decide what size plates they can make. Not the other way around. So many people have contacted me over the years requesting an impossible set of parameters, such as the proverbial Petzval that is Big, Fast, and Cheap (pick any 2). Or needing to cover a size that requires a lens a rare as hen's teeth.
If and when I decide to shoot my 47" Hermagis Aplanat (rapid rectilinear) that's exactly what I will do. Mount it temporarily in a dark room window, or a giant box, and SEE what it covers. Make plate holders accordingly.

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