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Description
| Manufacturer: | Douglas |
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| Base model: | B-23 | ||
| Designation: | B-23 | ||
| Nickname: | Dragon | ||
| Equivalent to: | UC-67 UC67UC-67 | ||
| Designation System: | U.S. Air Force | ||
| Designation Period: | 1924-Present | ||
| Basic role: | Bomber | ||
Specifications
| Length: | 58' 4" | 17.7 m | |
| Height: | 18' 5" | 5.6 m | |
| Wingspan: | 92' | 28.0 m | |
| Wingarea: | 993.0 sq ft | 92.2 sq m | |
| Empty Weight: | 19,089 lb | 8,657 kg | |
| Gross Weight: | 26,500 lb | 12,018 kg | |
| Max Weight: | 32,400 lb | 14,693 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 2 | ||
| Powerplant: | Wright R-2600-3 | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 1600 | ||
Performance
| Range: | 1,400 miles | 2,254 km | |
| Cruise Speed: | 210 mph | 338 km/h | 182 kt |
| Max Speed: | 282 mph | 454 km/h | 245 kt |
| Ceiling: | 31,600 ft | 9,631 m | |
Known serial numbers
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| Castle Air Museum | Atwater | California |
| McChord Air Museum | McChord AFB | Washington |
| Pima Air & Space Museum | Tucson | Arizona |
| United States Air Force Museum | Wright-Patterson | Ohio |
B-23 on display
Castle Air Museum |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Robert Hubbard San Jose, CA | In May, 1941, my father, Col. Harry Hubbard (then Lt. Hubbard) was flying B-23 #39-062 on a routine night navigation flight with a pilot trainee, four crew and a passenger aboard when a duck came through the windshield, hitting him in the face. Although badly injured and unable to see, he opted to land the plane himself as he was the only qualified pilot. The others chose not to parachute to safety and my father landed the plane on instruments at Spokane with the flight engineer standing behind him to break the airstream coming through the broken windshield with a flight manual held in front of my father's face. He was take to the station hospital at Ft. George Wright where he recovered and flew for the remainder of the war.
When my father told that story, he always said there was only one set of controls on that aircraft. Is it possible that a late build of that aircraft could have been built in this non-standard manner, and if so, why? (Col. Hubbard passed away December 25, 2011 at the age of 99 and three months.) 02/09/2012 @ 15:33 [ref: 52473] |
| JIM K , MO | THERE WAS ONE OF THESE AIRCRAFT PARKED AT LAMBERT/ST LOUIS
AIRPORT. ALTHO' IT WAS THERE FOR SOME TIME I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO FOTOGRAF IT. IT LOOKED LIKE A TWO ENGINE B-17. THAT WAS THE REASON I BECAME CURIOUS ABOUT IT. ONE DAY IT WAS GONE AND I'VE BEEN KICKING MYSELF FOR NOT JUST TAKING TIME TO GET A COUPLA FOTOS. IT WAS PAINTED THE OLD OD COLOR. I'VE OFTEN WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO IT AS I DRIVE BY WHERE IT WAS PARKED. I THINK IT LEFT HERE IN ABOUT 1985. 09/08/2010 @ 19:18 [ref: 29789] |
| Gonzalo Vall-Serra Wichita, KS | I was 13 yrs old, living in Bogota, Colombia. My brother in law was working for Esso in Bogota and I was invited several times to fly with them in the Esso B-23. After flying in that particular airplane I became totally crazy for aviation and then I became a pilot, came to live in the U.S.A. and worked for a long period of time with Beech Aircraft Corporation at their International Sales Department and actually at 68 remain as a contractor for the Hawker Beechcraft Corporation. During many years I was trying to find the Esso B-23 and I think I found it under s/n 39-0059, owned by Pan American Airways under Reg No. NR49891 an then owned by Esso Shipping Co. 1954 - 1958 under reg No. NC49891, and after other owners broken-up for scrap in Athens Greece 1968-1986. I remember that airplane with real affection because it drove me towards this fascinating world of aviation. 06/10/2010 @ 17:50 [ref: 26580] |
| Gonzalo Vall-Serra Wichita, KS | I was 13 yrs old, living in Bogota, Colombia. My brother in law was working for Esso in Bogota and I was invited several times to fly with them in the Esso B-23. After flying in that particular airplane I became totally crazy for aviation and then I became a pilot, came to live in the U.S.A. and worked for a long period of time with Beech Aircraft Corporation at their International Sales Department and actually at 68 remain as a contractor for the Hawker Beechcraft Corporation. During many years I was trying to find the Esso B-23 and I think I found it under s/n 39-0059, owned by Pan American Airways under Reg No. NR49891 an then owned by Esso Shipping Co. 1954 - 1958 under reg No. NC49891, and after other owners broken-up for scrap in Athens Greece 1968-1986. I remember that airplane with real affection because it drove me towards this fascinating world of aviation. 06/10/2010 @ 17:49 [ref: 26579] |
| LEE A PERNA ALEXANDRIA, VA | The B-23 never served outside of the Continental US. I flew a few ASW patrols off the West Coast, but that was the extent of its Pacific combat service. I may have made its way into the Pacific in a transport role, but that's highly unlikely given its limit range. 06/21/2009 @ 19:10 [ref: 24256] |
| fred jones humble, TX | referance the b 23 flown from houston to belize..it was owned by harold harbican who flew for delta airlines until he retired.. his was converted to a corp. plane by haliberton (sp).. i flew from houston to belize in 1966,after i married his daughter.. his son Paul was the pilot .. i don't have the tail number..but hal had a number of planes that he flew from hobby airport at this time..if you want more info e-mail..if i can help i will
fred 02/24/2009 @ 16:28 [ref: 23804] |
| Jack L Gilbert Rio Rancho, NM | Most B-23s were eventually converted to transports and were redesignated as UC-67s. 12/25/2008 @ 11:05 [ref: 23340] |
| Richard Carey Minden, LA, LA | Does anyone know of the B 23 that flew a route between Houston and British Honduras, or Honduras, or Nicaragua in the 60's? I seem to remember it was owned and flown by Tex Trussel, or maybe Sonny Nold. 12/16/2008 @ 13:04 [ref: 23257] |
| Jeffrey William L, CA | Hello Matt,
Do you have any information on a B-23, serial #39-0038. Construction# 2724. Later reg. #N62G. Could you email me at jeffreywilliam@earthlink.net Thanks so much, Jeff 09/12/2008 @ 10:05 [ref: 22670] |
| Fred Austin Sequim, WA | Would any of you historians out there know if there were any B-23s based in Pacific during WW-2?
Thnaks, Fred 07/08/2008 @ 10:00 [ref: 21802] |
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