×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Scale (2024) Special Forces

Boeing Model 398


Carrierbased Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft Proposal


United States | 1943



"The Boeing Model 398 was another company attempt to build for the USN a capable carrier-based fighter around the Wasp Major radial engine."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Boeing Model 398 Carrierbased Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft Proposal.
1 x Pratt & Whitney R-4360 "Wasp Major" 28-cylinder, 4-row, air-cooled radial piston engine developing 3,000 horsepower and driving 2 x Three-bladed propeller units at the nose in contra-rotating fashion.
Propulsion
457 mph
735 kph | 397 kts
Max Speed
44,997 ft
13,715 m | 9 miles
Service Ceiling
1,131 miles
1,820 km | 983 nm
Operational Range
5,150 ft/min
1,570 m/min
Rate-of-Climb
Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Boeing Model 398 Carrierbased Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft Proposal.
1
(MANNED)
Crew
43.8 ft
13.35 m
O/A Length
54.0 ft
(16.45 m)
O/A Width
16.0 ft
(4.88 m)
O/A Height
12,346 lb
(5,600 kg)
Empty Weight
16,314 lb
(7,400 kg)
MTOW
Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Boeing Model 398 Carrierbased Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft Proposal .
PROPOSED:
6 x 0.50 caliber Browning M2 air-cooled Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs) in wings (three guns to a wing).

OPTIONAL:
1 x 2,000lb conventional drop bomb held in an internal bay (replacing one internal fuel store).
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Boeing Model 398 family line.
Model 398 - Base Project Designation.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/30/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

During World War 2 (1939-1945) Boeing pushed a series of design studies centered on a single-seat, single-engine carrierborne fighter intended for the United States Navy (USN). While the service eventually settled on the Grumman "Hellcat" and Vought "Corsair" types to help win the war, the depth of Boeing's work in the field is still notable beginning with the Model 376 and running through the Model 386, 387, and - finally - the Model 398. The consistent quality between the lot was the use of the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 "Wasp Major" air-cooled radial piston engine expected to output 3,000 horsepower, an experimental powerplant that saw only limited production and equally-limited application.

The Model 398 was a further evolution of the earlier Model 386, a monoplane-formed, single-seat, single-engine design with a traditional tail unit, low-mounted wingplane members, and 2 x Three-bladed propeller blade units arranged for contra-rotating operation. Developed for the mid-to-high-altitude flying envelope, the design went nowhere and eventually fell to naught.

The subsequent Model 398 continued much of the form and function of the Model 386, complete with its six-bladed arrangement at the nose, but was further revised to double as a carrierborne fighter-bomber through planned implementation of an internal bomb bay taking the place of one of the original internal fuel stores. In this housing, a single 2,000lb conventional drop bomb could be carried, transforming the fighter to an attacker with little effort. Beyond this, the aircraft would still be armed - though not with automatic cannons as in previous iterations - through an arrangement of 6 x 0.50 caliber air-cooled heavy machine guns in the wings. The guns would be positioned just outside of the propeller's arc but outboard of the wing-folding device.

As with other carrierborne aircraft of the period, the fighter could be completed with a wing-folding feature in which the wings twisted and rested against the sides of the fuselage. Beyond this, a reinforced undercarriage and a tail hook would have completed the "navalization" of the Boeing fighter.

Another change of note in the Model 398 appears to be the deletion of the hinged "automobile-style" entry-exit door for the cockpit. In its place was to be a more conventional tear-drop-style sliding canopy.

As drawn up, the aircraft was given a running length of 43.8 feet and a wingspan of 54 feet. Gross weight was to reach 14,000lb. With its powerful Wasp Major radial in place, the sleek aircraft was expected to exceed speeds of 456 miles-per-hour under War Emergency Power (WEP) and in ideal conditions (sea level altitude). Its service ceiling was rated at over 40,000 feet with an operating range of 1,130 miles. Rate-of-climb would have settled at an impressive 5,150 feet-per-minute under full power.

In the fighter-bomber role, specifications would have been slightly reduced as weight increased and operational range was reduced.

At any rate, this advanced fighter concept joined the other Boeing USN fighter design study submissions of the period and ultimately fell by the wayside.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Boeing Model 398. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 0 Units

Contractor(s): Boeing Company - USA
National flag of the United States

[ United States (abandoned) ]
1 / 1
Image of the Boeing Model 398
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Going Further...
The Boeing Model 398 Carrierbased Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft Proposal appears in the following collections:
HOME
AVIATION INDEX
AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE AIRCRAFT
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT
AIRCRAFT BY TYPE
AIRCRAFT BY DECADE
WWII AIRCRAFT
X-PLANE AIRCRAFT
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)