Douglas B-23 Dragon

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The Douglas B-23 Dragon was a twin-engined bomber developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company as a successor to (and a refinement of) 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 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.^[1] The design incorporated a larger wingspan with a wing design very similar to that of the Douglas DC-3, a fully retractable undercarriage, and improved defensive armament. Notably, the B-23 was the first operational US bomber equipped with a glazed tail gun position.^[1] The tail gun mounted a .50 caliber machine gun, which was fired from the prone position by a gunner using a telescopic sight. ^[2]

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

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.^[1] The B-23s were primarily relegated to training duties although 18 of the type were converted as transports and redesignated as the UC-67. The B-23 also served as a testbed for new engines and systems.

After World War II, many examples were used as executive transports with appropriate internal modifications and as a result a large number have survived. Howard Hughes (among others) used converted B-23s as personal aircraft.

Operators

United States

United States Army Air Corps

Variants

B-23: Twin-engined bomber version of the B-18 with modified fuselage, 38 built.
C-67: Conversion to utility transport with provision for glider towing, 12 conversions from B-23, redesignated UC-67 in 1943.
UC-67: C-67 redesignated in 1943.

Survivors

Douglas B-23 converted to executive transport role at Athens (Hellenikon) Airport in 1973

Ecuador

On display UC-67

39-031 (HC-APV) - Ecuadorian Air Museum, Quito.^[3]

United States

Airworthy B-23

39-0033 - Pissed Away N747M LLC in Bellevue, Washington.^[4]

On display B-23

39-0036 - McChord Air Museum in McChord AFB, Washington.^[5]
39-0051 - Pima Air & Space Museum adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona.^[6]
39-0057 - Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida. ^[7]

UC-67

39-0047 - Castle Air Museum at the former Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, California.^[8]

Under restoration B-23

39-0037 - under restoration at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.^[9]
39-0038 - under restoration at the 1941 Historical Aircraft Group Museum in Geneseo, New York.^[10]

UC-67

39-0063 - under restoration to airworthiness by Carmacks Commercial Corp. in Anchorage, Alaska.^[11]

Wrecks B-23

39-0052 - largely complete wreck at Loon Lake, Idaho.^[12]

Specifications (B-23 Dragon)

Data from Joe Baugher's Encyclopedia of American aircraft^[13]

General characteristics

Crew: six
Length: 58 ft 6 in (17.8 m)
Wingspan: 92 ft (28 m)
Height: 18 ft 6 in (5.6 m)
Wing area: 993 ft² (92.3 m²)
Empty weight: 19,089 lb (8,677 kg)
Loaded weight: 26,500 lb (12,000 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 32,400 lb (14,700 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Wright R-2600-3 radial engines, 1,600 hp (1,194 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 282 mph (245 kn, 454 km/h)
Range: 1,400 mi (1,200 nmi, 2,300 km)with 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) of bombs
Service ceiling: 31,600 ft (9,630 m)
Rate of climb: 1,493 ft/min (7.6 m/s)
Wing loading: 26.7 lb/ft² (130 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.17 hp/lb (200 kW/kg)

Armament

Guns:
- 3 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns
- 1 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun in tail turret
Bombs: 4,000 lb (1,814 kg)

References

Notes

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mondey 1982, p. 111.
↑ "Stinger Gun in Plane's Tail Guards Vulnerable Spot." Popular Science, January 1941.
↑ "UC-67 Dragon/39-031" John Weeks website. Retrieved: 15 July 2013.
↑ "B-23 Dragon/39-0033." FAA Registry. Retrieved: 31 May 2011.
↑ "B-23 Dragon/39-0036." McChord Air Museum. Retrieved: 31 May 2011.
↑ "B-23 Dragon/39-0051." Pima Air & Space Museum. Retrieved: 31 May 2011.
↑ "B-23 Dragon/39-0057." Fantasy of Flight. Retrieved: 11 April 2012.
↑ "UC-67 Dragon/39-0047." Castle Air Museum. Retrieved: 31 May 2011.
↑ "B-23 Dragon/39-0037." USAF Museum. Retrieved: 31 May 2011.
↑ "B-23 Dragon/39-0038." 1941 Historical Aircraft Group. Retrieved: 25 December 2010.
↑ "UC-67 Dragon/39-0063." FAA Registry. Retrieved: 11 February 2012.
↑ "B-23 Dragon/39-0052." AviationArcheology.com. Retrieved: 2 September 2011.
↑ Baugher, Joe. "B-23 'Dragon'." Joe Baugher's Encyclopedia of American aircraft, 23 November 2000. Retrieved: 12 June 2010.

Bibliography

Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to American Aircraft of World War II. London: Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd., 2002, (republished 1996 by the Chancellor Press), First edition 1982. ISBN 1-85152-706-0.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Douglas B-23.

B-23 entry at the National Museum of the USAF website

v t e Douglas military aircraft

Fighters	XP-48 P-70 F-6 F-10 XFD F3D F4D F5D XF6D

Ground attack	XA-2 A-20 A-24 A-26 A-33 A-1 A-3 A-4/A-4AR/A-4SU DT T2D XT3D TBD SBD BD XBTD XTB2D AD XA2D A3D A4D

Bombers	YB-7 YB-11 B-18 XB-19 XB-22 B-23 B-26 XB-31 XB-42 XB-43 B-66 DB-1 DB-2 DB-7 DB-8 DB-19 DB-73 Boston I/II/III/IV/V Digby I Havoc I/II DXD1

Observation	O-2 OD O2D O-31 O-35 O-38 O-43 YO-44 O-46 O-53 YOA-5

Patrol	PD P2D P3D

Reconnaissance	F-3

Transports	C-1 C-21 C-32 C-33 YC-34 C-38 C-39 C-41 C-41A C-42 C-47 C-48 C-49 C-50 C-51 C-52 C-53 C-54 C-58 UC-67 C-68 C-74 C-84 C-110 XC-112/YC-112 XC-114 YC-116 C-117 C-118 C-124 YC-129 C-133 C-9 C-24 RD R2D R3D R4D (R4D-2 & R4D-4) R5D JD R6D CC-129 Dakota I/III/IV Dakota II LXD1 PD.808 Skymaster I

Gliders	XCG-17

Training aircraft	BT-1 BT-2 XT-30

Experimental	DWC D-558-1 D-558-2 X-3

v t e USAAS/USAAC/USAAF/USAF bomber designations 1924–1962

Bomber	B-1 B-2 B-3 B-4 B-5 B-6 B-7 B-8 B-9 B-10 B-11 B-12 B-13 B-14 B-15 B-16 B-17 B-18 B-19 B-20 B-21 B-22 B-23 B-24 B-25 B-26 B-27 B-28 B-29 B-30 B-31 B-32 B-33 B-34 B-35 B-36 B-37 B-38 B-39 B-40 B-41 B-42 B-43 B-44 B-45 B-46 B-47 B-48 B-49 B-50 B-51 B-52 B-53 B-54 B-55 B-56 B-57 B-58 B-59 B-60 B-61 B-62 B-63 B-64 B-65 B-66 B-67 B-68 RB-69 B-70

Light bomber	LB-1 LB-2 LB-3 LB-4 LB-5 LB-6 LB-7 LB-8 LB-9 LB-10 LB-11 LB-12 LB-13 LB-14

Heavy bomber	HB-1 HB-2 HB-3

Long-range bomber	BLR-1 BLR-2 BLR-3

See also: B-20 (redesignation of A-20 in 1948) B-26 (redesignation of A-26 in 1948) SR-71 (designation in bomber sequence) Post-1962 list

v t e United States military transport aircraft designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems

Army/Air Force sequence (1925-1962)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7 C-8 C-9 C-10 C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16 C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20 C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 C-28 C-29 C-30 C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34 C-35 C-36 C-37 C-38 C-39 C-40 C-41/A C-42 C-43 C-44 C-45 C-46 C-47/T C-48 C-49 C-50 C-51 C-52 C-53 C-54 C-55 C-56 C-57 C-58 C-59 C-60 C-61 C-62 C-63 C-64 C-65 C-66 C-67 C-68 C-69 C-70/A/B/C/D C-71 C-72 C-73 C-74 C-75 C-76 C-77/B-D C-78 C-79 C-80 C-81 C-82 C-83 C-84 C-85 C-86 C-87 C-88 C-89 C-90 C-91 C-92 C-93 C-94 C-95 C-96 C-97/KC-97 C-98 C-99 C-100 C-101 C-102 C-103 C-104 C-105 C-106 C-107 C-108 C-109 C-110 C-111 C-112 C-113 C-114 C-115 C-116 C-117 C-118 C-119 C-120 C-121/F C-122 C-123/A C-124 C-125 C-126 C-127 (I) C-127 (II) C-128 C-129 C-130/J C-131 C-132 C-133 C-134 C-135/KC-135 C-136 C-137 C-138¹ C-139¹ C-140 C-141 C-142

Tri-service sequence (1962-present)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7 C-8 C-9 C-10 C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16¹ C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20A-D/F-H C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27/J C-28 C-29 C-30¹ C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34¹ C-35 C-36 C-37 C-38 C-40 C-41 C-42¹ C-43¹ C-44¹ C-45 C-46

Revived original sequence (2005-present)	C-143 C-144 C-145 C-146

Non-sequential designations	C-767 C-880

¹ Not assigned See also: AC-47 • AC-119 • AC-130 • DC-130 • EC-130 • HC-130 • KC-130 • LC-130 • MC-130 • WC-130

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