Douglas B-23 Dragon   (39-027)

                              

                                     Another superb Douglas photograph, marred (historically) by the fact that it it devoid of any
                                     serial number.  However, inasmuch as the image is dated July, 1939, and since the first B-23
                                     was delivered in that month, there is a great probablity that this is the first one which did, in fact,
                                     become 39- 027.  The B-23 was basically an enlarged development of the B-18A Bolo (the
                                     military version of the DC-2).    38 B-23s were produced and many of those were later con-
                                     verted to UC-67 transports.   Many of these, in turn, were released to the civilian market after
                                     the war and for a while were the pride of more than one corporate fleet.  A typical example of
                                     a civilianized one was N52327 which appears in my US ex-Military section.