Fewer then forty of the Douglas B-23 Dragon bombers were furnished by Douglas Aircraft Company to the United States Army Air Corps prior to World War 2.
The lead-up to World War 2 for the United States saw a period of constant progression for its bomber force. Founded in 1921, the Douglas Aircraft Company was already a common manufacturing brand seen in large American aircraft. The Douglas B-18 "Bolo" medium bomber was one of the primary types taken into service during the 1930s. Introduced in 1936, three-hundred fifty were produced and served with the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), the Canadian Air Force, and the Brazilian Air Force. It held origins in the Douglas DC-2 transport of 1934.
From the B-18's basic design, the company began work on a more refined version under the "XB-22" prototype designation. This aircraft was proposed with 2 x Wright R-2600-3 series "Twin Cyclone" radial piston engines of 1,600 horsepower each and, from this, emerged a USAAC contract order for 38 aircraft. These replaced an order for thirty eight examples originally intended as B-18A bombers from Douglas.
The new bomber was designated B-23 "Dragon" in service and carried the Wright engine pairing in nacelles buried along the wing leading edges, each engine driving three-bladed propeller units. The wing mainplanes were low-mounted along the fuselage sides and the fuselage being well-tapered from nose to tail. The nose section was glazed over for optimal viewing by the bombardier/navigator while the cockpit was stepped. The aircraft was crewed by six personnel. The undercarriage was of a "tail dragger" configuration and retractable with the main legs recessing into the engine nacelles at each wing.
Standard armament was 3 x 0.30 caliber machine guns set about the aircraft for local defense. There was also a single 0.50 caliber heavy machine gun fitted to the tail - the first such installation seen on any American aircraft. Beyond this armament, the aircraft was cleared to carry up to 2,000lb of conventional drop ordnance in an internal bomb bay.
Performance from the Wright engines allowed the aircraft to reach speeds nearing 285 miles per hour while cruising at around 210 miles per hour. Range was out to 1,400 miles and a service ceiling of 31,600 feet could be met. An altitude of 10,000 feet was had in about 6.5 minutes.
Compared to the B-18, the B-23 offered better performance, was given an improved defensive armament fit, and featured an increased wingspan. Its prototype went airborne for the first time on July 27th, 1939 - just months ahead of the official start of World War 2 in Europe (September 1st). Serial production was begun that same month and ended in September of 1940 with all 38 aircraft completed.
By the time of the American entry into the war, the B-23 had already met its performance match as newer, better medium types were taken into USAAC service. As such, the B-23 was never seen as an active combat performer during the war but instead relegated for service use as a trainer, stateside maritime patrol, and transport. In the latter role, it became the "C-67" and was redesignated to "UC-67" in 1943. At least twelve were converted to transports from the existing B-23 stock. Other airframes were set aside, modified, and used in various aeronautical-related tests.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
✓Training (General)
Developed ability to be used as a dedicated trainer for student pilots (typically under the supervision of an instructor).
Length
58.4 ft (17.80 m)
Width/Span
92.0 ft (28.04 m)
Height
18.4 ft (5.60 m)
Empty Wgt
19,092 lb (8,660 kg)
MTOW
32,408 lb (14,700 kg)
Wgt Diff
+13,316 lb (+6,040 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Douglas B-23 Dragon production variant)
monoplane / low-mounted / straight
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.
Low-Mounted
Mainplanes are low-mounted along the sides of the fuselage.
Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.
(Structural descriptors pertain to the base Douglas B-23 Dragon production variant)
Installed:
2 x Wright R-2600-3 radial piston engines developing 1,600 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units in puller fashion.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Douglas B-23 Dragon production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
STANDARD:
3 x 0.30 caliber machine guns.
1 x 0.50 caliber machine gun at tail position.
OPTIONAL:
Up to 2,000lb of conventional drop bombs held in an internal bomb bay.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 0
B-23 - Base Series Designation; definitive production model; 38 examples completed.
C-67 - Utility transport model converted from B-23 airframes; 12 examples completed.
UC-67 - Redesignation of C-67 aircraft from 1943 onward.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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Image from the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.
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