The question came up in Silver... and, after looking google-wide.. I can't find it. I would have SWORE there was a B-27... I found the: B-18 Bolo (light bomber) XB-19 (prototype only) B-17 Flying Fortress (heavy bomber) B-23 Dragon (medium bomber) B-24 Liberator (heavy bomber) B-25 Mitchell (medium bomber) B-26 Marauder (medium bomber) B-29 Superfortress (heavy bomber) B-32 Dominator (heavy bomber) B-36 Peacemaker (heavy bomber) B-45 Tornado (reconnaissance bomber) B-47 Stratojet (strategic bomber) B-50 Superfortress (strategic bomber) B-52 Stratofortress (strategic bomber) B-57 Canberra (reconnaissance bomber) B-58 Hustler (strategic bomber) B-66 Destroyer (light bomber) B-1B Lancer (strategic bomber) B-2 Spirit (stealth bomber) But, there are a few photos that purport to be of a B-27. BUT, no references, no articles, and .... no nickname... Someone help me out here... I would have bet a thousand bucks there WAS a B-27 Bomber... what's the deal? Any ideas from our Aviator guys out there??? Mike
Here is a fact sheet on the XB-27 http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2573 and here is a full list of bomber that were proposed or produced. http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/research/aircraft/bomber/index.asp
Yes, I have a newspaper clipping about my Uncle Bob about his having flown 61 missions during WWII in a B-27 Bomber. I also have a picture of him leaning out the cockpit window. It shows the name Gayle on the side of the plane. Gayle was his baby daughter's name.
Looks like an interesting typo. Change either digit of "27" and you get nearly ALL of the bomber types that the USAAF flew during WW II!
There was a B-24 (H) called the "Toni Gayle": http://www.450thbg.com/real/biographies/lowrance/lowrance.shtml THIS PAGE CONTAINS PORTIONS OF A WORLD WAR II CHRONOLOGY OF MILITARY SERVICE TIME AS EXPERIENCED BY BEUFORD L. LOWRANCE, S/N 37397918, RADIO OPERATOR AND WAIST GUNNER ON A B-24 (H) LIBERATOR BOMBER NAMED TONI GAYLE. ASSIGNED TO THE FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE, 47th AIR WING, AND THE 450th BOMB GROUP, CONSISTING OF THE: 720th, 721st, 722nd AND 723rd BOMB SQUADRONS. THE TONI GAYLE AND ITS CREW WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 722nd SQUADRON. THE FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE WAS ACTIVATED ON NOVEMBER 1, 1943, WITH HEADQUARTERS AT TUNIS, TUNISIA, AND LATER MOVED TO AN AIRFIELD IN THE FOGGIA, ITALY AREA. THE 450th BOMB GROUP ARRIVED AT ITS ASSIGNED BASE NEAR MANDURIA, ITALY, IN LATE DECEMBER, 1943, AND EARLY JANUARY, 1944 AFTER BEING FORMED AND TRAINED AT ALAMOGORDO ARMY AIR BASE IN NEW MEXICO.
Here is a quote from the link provided above: Our aircraft's serial number was 129221 or 221 for short and was later named Toni Gayle in honor of the pilot, Clarence B. "Babe" Caldwell's infant daughter. Its a small world with the Internet.