Like the B-18 the B-23 Dragon was based on a successful Douglas airliner design.  This time it was the DC-3 that served as the basis for the new bomber.  Designed in 1939 to replace the B-18 the Dragon was significantly faster than the earlier design and was slightly better armed as for the first time in an American bomber it was fitted with a tail gun.  Despite these improvements, the B-23 was still not up to the standards of bombers in use by the European powers.  Only 38 Dragons were built and none of them ever entered combat.  By mid-1942 all the Dragons had been relegated to training, or transport duties.  However, after the war the relatively high speed of the B-23 made it popular for conversion to executive transports and small airliners.

Manufacturer
Douglas

Markings
Great Lakes Carbon, New York City, 1950

Designation
B-23

Registration
N61Y, N34C, N534C, N230SU, N534J

Serial Number
39-051