| General
History
The
B-23 “Dragon” was designed as a replacement
for the Douglas B-18 “Bolo” bomber. It incorporated
many features of the famous Douglas DC-3 Transport. It
was the first American bomber to have a tail gunner! The
B-23 was first test flown when the war was starting in
Europe but, because of how fighters had developed, it
soon became apparent that the bomber was already obsolete.
As a result, only 38 were built. Some were converted during
the war for passenger use and were designated as UC-67’s
and became highly desirable after World War II as corporate
executive transports.
The B-23 was one
of the aircraft considered by Jimmy Doolittle for his
famous Raid on Japan after Pearl Harbor. Because the wingspan
was too large to operate off of the Aircraft Carrier it
could not used. Because of the availability of better
aircraft like the North American B-25 and Martin B-26
bombers the B-23 was never used in combat. It served stateside
in roles such as reconnaissance, training, coastal patrols
and test-bed aircraft throughout World War II. There are
about 8 left in the World today with a few still in airworthy
condition.
To
learn about the personal history of our very own Douglas
B-23 Dragon as well as comments from Kermit Weeks, please
visit our beautiful art deco facility and old-fashioned
hangars.
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