Boeing Model 387

History of the Boeing 387

The Boeing 387 was another attempt by Boeing to give the US Navy (1939-1945) during World War II a new, state-of-the-art Technical Interest, Single Seat Carrier Monoplane - A fighter jet powered by an air-cooled Pratt & Whitney R-4360 "Major Wasp" radial piston engine. The aircraft inherited the Type 376 and 386, both of which are detailed on this page, but also - like these - did not become a front-line prospect.

The service will continue to field ace pairings of Grumman F6F Hellcat and Vought F4U Corsair fighter jets to replace their outdated inventory of Brewster Buffalo and Grumman Wildcat types.

While the Type 376 was a low-altitude fighter and the Type 386 was for mid-altitude missions, the Type 387 was designed from the start as a high-altitude performance aircraft. Here, the Wasp Major radial engine, rated up to 3,000 hp, is also at the heart of the design work, which includes a pair of three-blade counter-rotating propeller units located in the nose for maximum propulsive power.

The plane retains the smooth, clean look of two other Boeing attempts, in which the main aircraft slightly leads the midship, using a traditional monoplane tail and tail-tow landing gear when operating on the ground.

One of the more interesting features of this series of fighters (including the Type 376 and 386) is the proposed use of "automotive" hinged doors to get in and out of the cockpit - a feature most commonly seen on Bell P-39 wartime related" Airacobra" fighter (detailed elsewhere on this page).

The proposed armament is the same as that of the Type 376 and 386 fighters: 4 x 20mm automatic cannons mounted on the wings, two cannons on each wing element.

Dimensions include a barrel length of 42.3 feet and a wingspan of 58 feet.

From the turbocharged Wasp Major unit, coupled with the fighter's sleek design, engineers estimate a top speed of 475 mph at an altitude of nearly 32,000 feet. As a fighter assigned to high-altitude operations, it's likely to be capped at around 45,000 feet -- although its "optimal" use range is between 20,000 and 35,000 feet.

Like the Type 376 and 386 fighter jets, it has an operational range of 1,000 miles (about 3,000 miles by ferry).

Like other attempts at Boeing Navy fighter jets, the 387 came up with nothing and was eventually discarded.

Specification

Base

Years in Service

1943

Origins

United States

Status

Cancel

Development ended.

Crew

1

Production

0

Manufacturer

Boeing Company - USA

Carrier

US (obsolete)

scrolling

air-to-air combat, fighter

The general ability to actively attack other aircraft of similar form and function, usually using guns, missiles and/or airborne missiles.

nautical/navy

Water mobility capability for a variety of land-based or ship-based maritime missions, supported by Allied Naval Surface Forces.

X-Plane (development, prototype, tech demo)

Aircraft designed for prototyping, technology demonstration, or research/data collection.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

42. 3 feet

(12.90m)

Width/span

58. 1 ft

(17.70m)

Height

16. 0 feet

(4.88m)

Cured weight

14,771 lbs

(6,700 kg)

MTOW

20,503 lbs

(9,300 kg)

Wgt Difference

+5,732 lbs

(+2,600 kg)

Performance

Installed:

1 x Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major 28-cylinder, 4-row, air-cooled, radial piston engine producing 3,000 hp and driving a 2 x 3-blade counter-rotating nose propeller unit.

Maximum speed

472 km/h

(760 km/h | 410 knots)

Maximum

44,997 feet

(13,715 m | 9 km)

Area

1,000 km

(1,610 km | 2,982 nautical miles)

rate of climb

2,300 ft/min

(701 m/min)

Range (MPH) Subsonic: < 614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: > 19030

ARMAMENT

PROPOSED:4 x 20mm automatic cannons in the wings (two guns to a wing).