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The Martin XB-27 was a design for a high altitude medium bomber that never got beyond the blueprint stage.
The design was produced in response to Air Corps specification XC-214 of August 1939, for a high altitude medium bomber. Martin responded with the Martin 182, which was given the Air Corps designation XB-27.
The B-27 was loosely based on the B-26 Marauder, and had the same basic layout of a high wing twin engine aircraft with a single tail and the same Double Wasp engines. However most of the details were changed - the tail remained very similar, but the fuselage was narrower, the pressurised cockpit was moved back to a position just above the wings, giving the aircraft the appearance of a large fighter and the wings were made wider but the tapered wings of the Marauder were replaced with wings with a tapered leading edge and straight trailing edge and a larger area.
The B-27 was to have been armed with three 0.3in and one 0.5in machine guns. The 0.5in gin would have been carried in a tail position. One of the 0.3in guns would have been in the nose, the second in the rear of the cockpit fairing and the third in an unusual fitting that could have been moved between ports in the bottom and sides of the fuselage.
The B-27 would have been able to carry a 4,000lb payload with a range of 2,900 miles. It never got beyond the design stage. Martin also produced two versions of the B-33 Super Marauder, also seen as a potential high altitude bomber, but again neither reached the prototype stage.
Engine: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-9 Double Wasp engines
Power: 2,100hp each
Crew: 7
Span: 84ft
Length: 60ft 9in
Height: 20ft
Empty Weight: 23,125lb
Gross Weight: 32,970lb
Maximum Speed: 376mph
Ceiling: 33,500ft
Range: 2,900 miles with 4,000lb payload
Guns: One 0.3in machine gun in nose, one in rear of cockpit faring, one amidships and one 0.5in machine gun in tail
Bomb load: 4,000lb normal