Warbird Information Exchange

Geez...I'd hate to hear what you think of the B-18. Good thing nobody has wasted thier time and money restoring any of those clunkers.

Can I give you a hint: most b-17's airworthy today did not see combat. The more you type the more you are stepping off in it in this thread.

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Negative Ghost Rider the pattern is full

it would be interesting if somebody with the deep pockets, the resources, the $$$$ & the patient will to convert a current dc-3 / c-47 to a b-18 bolo!! would be great on the air show circuit!! i'm sure most of the parts are floating out their as the bolo bomber morphed from the 30's dc-3!! probably a pipe dream, but i'm confident it could be done!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Think the Bolo was based on the DC-2. A flying Bolo would be awesome, as would for that matter be a flying XXXX (insert name of an airplane). It would stand to reason that a flying B-18 would be more likely than a B-23 (350 as compared to less than 40 machines) and post war use, however I am sure its not that simple. Man how neat would that be, make a beautiful formation partner for a certain DC-2!

According to Wiki, there are only six known surviving B-18 airframes. Five are in various museums, and the sixth is the well-known wreck in a Hawaiian ravine. Wiki says that one is owned by the Pacific Aviation Museum, and a recovery is in the works. So it appears all the surviving Bolos are spoken for. I'd love to see one fly myself, even though it's a clunky, ugly, pug-nosed machine. But then, I also love the B-24!

SN

Lynn, thanks for the photo of a Dragon in motion. You dont' see many from its service days.

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

Interesting....some good info I think.....
Heres another question:
I did a bit little of research, it looks like the B-23 uses R-2600's like a B-25 and
I believe it has alot of accessory parts,such as landing gear, in common with the DC-3.
So, wouldn't that make it a bit easier to find parts for?
Of course structure parts- vertical fin,body,etc... would have to be fabricated,
if in need of replacement, but the stuff that wears out quickest?.....
I Admit, I don't know alot, but......
Seems that it wouldn't be the hardest warbird to keep in the air....
Or am I wrong?

Just bumped into this pic entirely by accident while browsing pics from William Vandivert (LIFE photographer); this was in a photo essay called "Panama Cargo Trip", so it's likely that this bird was photographed in the Canal Zone. Serial appears to be 39-048.

It's nice to see so many people liking the B-23.

I tried to search up B-23 units in the Canal Zone and could not find anything. I learneda few B-23's were redsignated UC-67's and its just my guess that this B-23 in the picture might be one of those.

Great find! Not many photos of OD B-23's out there. I love it!

Thanks,
Nathan

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I always liked the B-23 but then again I like the O-47 too. The 23 reminds me of a scaled down twin engine B-17, esp. the angle of that last picture. The executive interior on this one really turns me off, I think it would look better if all that junk were removed.

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Always looking for WW2 Half-Tracks and Parts.

True, not Hughes owned, but having Roscoe Turner as her first civilian owner is pretty neat.
Of the 10 known B-23 survivors...and calling the "Loon Lake" -23 a survivor is stretching it,
3 are former Hughes or PanAm birds. 39-031 PanAm(Ecuador), 39-033 Hughes(Bogue), and
Kermit's 39-057 PanAm.

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He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

I got a good thread going over on my forum about the B-23:
http://usaircraft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general

If interested.

Thanks,
Nathan

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Shop the Airplane Bunker At
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Nate et al,

Great thread on the old Dragon.

Question: Did those converted to UC-67 still carry the glass nose?

TIA

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

I can't remember how many times we had the B-23 N747M at air shows and people would ask if it's a B-17? I guess most people don't find it so ugly as ellis_island_kid does.

What kind of single engine performance did the B-23 have? With all that stabilizer and rudder it had to have a slow blue line. Kind of reminds me of the "big tailed" Stinson 108-3. What is all that vertical for???