The Martin B-27A Atlantic Marauder (Model 189B)
General Characteristics Crew: 6-8 (2 pilots, bombardier, navigator/radio operator, 2-4 gunners) Length: 56 ft 6.6 in Wingspan: 91 ft Height: 17 ft 3.5 in Wing Area: 842 ft² 9.6 in² Empty Weight: 30,957 lbs Gross Weight: 44,417 lbs Maximum Takeoff Weight: 48,417 lbs Powerplant: 4 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-43 Double Wasp radial engines equipped with General Electric CMC-3 turbochargers, 2,200 hp each
Performance Maximum speed: 465 mph Cruise speed: 250 mph Landing speed: 114 mph Service ceiling: 30,000 ft Wing loading: 36.7 lb/ft² Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb
Armament Guns: 8 × .50 in Browning machine guns Bombs (Very Short Range): 10,000 lbs (4536 kg) Bombs (Short Range): 8,000 lbs (3628 kg) Bombs (Medium Range): 6,000 lbs (2721 kg) Bombs (Long Range): 4,000 lbs (1814 kg) Bombs (Very Long Range): 3,000 lbs (1360 kg)
The B-27 was designed as a 4-engine version of the B-26 Marauder, with additional defensive armament in the form of two Sperry A-17A ball turrets in the nose and tail positions, as well as a Martin 250CE top turret and a Martin designed remote controlled belly turret. First used against U-Boats during the Battle of the Atlantic, where it earned the nickname of "Atlantic Marauder", the aircraft was used in both the PTO and ETO, replacing the B-24 Liberator. Units in the PTO referred to it as the "Pacific Marauder" instead.
Due to the large wing area, the plane had a much lower wing loading of only 36.7 lb/ft², compared to the 46.4 lb/ft² of late Marauders and the 56 lb/ft² of the early models on which it was based. Such wing loading was also lower than the B-17's (38 lb/ft²) and the B-24's (52.5 lb/ft²). This, combined with the aircraft's smaller size and more powerful engines, made it much faster and more maneuverable than either aircraft, while also making the B-27 very resistant to battle damage, and giving it a shorter takeoff distance when compared to the B-26.
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Something I've been working on for the past few weeks. War Thunder's having an art contest where you have to design a vehicle. I might have gone a little overboard, since I not only spent a lot of time making sure none of the drawings disagreed too much and doing research into how much my changes to the original B-26 design would affect performance. Took up 4 sheets of paper overall and the front view alone took around 3 hours. Interior views (left to right): Outer engine nacelles (engines 1 & 4, bomb bays), inner engine nacelles (engines 2 & 3, landing gear well), fuselage and main landing gear (shown from behind).
