The B-23 is a twin-engine bomber developed as a successor to the Douglas B-18A. First flown in July 1939, the B-23 incorporated many features of the Douglas DC-3 commercial transport. Although it was much faster than the B-18 and was the first operational Army bomber equipped with a tail gun, the Dragon was soon outclassed by more modern bombers such as the North American B-25 and the Martin B-26. As a result, only 38 B-23s were built.

The B-23s were never used in combat during World War II. Instead they served in secondary roles as reconnaissance, training, transport and test-bed aircraft. Some of the Dragons used in transport service were redesignated UC-67s.

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SPECIFICATIONS:

Span: 92 ft. 0 in.

Length: 58 ft. 6 in.

Height: 18 ft. 6 in.

Weight: 32,400 lbs. maximum

Armament: Three .30-cal. M-2 machine guns, one .50-cal. M-2 machine gun, plus 4,000 lbs. of bombs carried internally

Engines: Two Wright R-2600-3s of 1,600 hp each

Crew: Six

Cost: $133,000

PERFORMANCE:

Maximum speed: 282 mph

Cruising speed: 210 mph

Range: 1,400 miles

Service ceiling: 31,600 ft.