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The Douglas B-23 Dragon is an American twin-engined bomber developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company as a successor to the B-18 Bolo.

Design and development

Douglas proposed a number of modifications designed to improve the performance of the B-18. Initially considered a redesign, the XB-22 featured 1,600&nbsp;hp Wright R-2600-1 Twin Cyclone radial engines. The complete B-18 redesign was considered promising enough by the USAAC to alter the original contract to produce the last 38 B-18As ordered under Contract AC9977 as the B-23. The tail gun was a .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine gun, which was fired from the prone position by a gunner using a telescopic sight.

The first B-23 flew on July 27, 1939 with the production series of 38 B-23s manufactured between July 1939 and September 1940.

thumb|B-23 Dragon front

thumb|B-23 Dragon side

Operational history

While significantly faster and better armed than the B-18, the B-23 was not comparable to newer medium bombers like the North American B-25 Mitchell and Martin B-26 Marauder. For this reason, the 38 B-23s built were never used in combat overseas, although for a brief period they were employed as patrol aircraft stationed on the west coast of the United States.

After World War II, many examples were used as executive transports, with appropriate internal modifications, and as a result a large number have survived, both in public and private collections.

Surviving aircraft

thumb|Douglas B-23 Dragon at [[Castle Air Museum]]

thumb|Douglas B-23 Dragon at [[Pima Air & Space Museum]]

Ecuador

  • 39-031 – UC-67 on static display at the Aeronautical and Space Museum of the Ecuadorian Air Force in Quito.

United States

  • 39-0033 – B-23 under restoration with ATW Aviation in Marana, Arizona.
  • 39-0036 – B-23 on static display at the McChord Air Museum at McChord Field near Lakewood, Washington.
  • 39-0037 – B-23 in storage at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.
  • 39-0038 – B-23 in storage at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, New York.
  • 39-0047 – UC-67 on static display at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California.
  • 39-0051 – B-23 on static display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
  • 39-0057 – B-23 in storage at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.
  • 39-0063 – B-23 airworthy with private owner in Anchorage, Alaska.

Specifications (B-23 Dragon)

frameless|right|3-view line drawing of the Douglas B-23 Dragon

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

  • Francillon, René J. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920. London, Putnam, 1979. .
  • Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to American Aircraft of World War II. London: Hamlyn Publishing Group, 2002, (republished 1996 by the Chancellor Press), First edition 1982. .
  • Douglas B-23 Dragon – National Museum of the United States Air Force