The McChord Air Museum on the McCord Air Base near Tacoma, Washington displays several airplanes, including two early bombers: the Douglas B-18A Bolo and the Douglas B-23 Dragon.
Douglas B-18A Bolo
The Douglas B-18 was a military adaptation of the DC-2 airliner. By the end of 1941, it was obsolete, but it was still the most important bomber in service with the Army Air Force when the United States entered into World War II. Some B-18s saw limited combat in World War II when assigned to maritime patrol duties.
This aircraft has a crew of 6; a top speed of 215 mph; and a cruising speed of 167 mph.
Douglas B-23 Dragon
In 1938, the Douglas Aircraft Co. developed the B-23 Drago to rectify the shortcomings of the B-18 Bolo. The B-23 Dragon featured upgraded engines, a considerably refined fuselage, and a manned tail gun position with a .50 caliber machine gun. Early evaluations, however, revealed disappointing performance and it saw only limited service in a coastal control capacity. Ultimately, these planes were relegated to training duties and to utility transport duties.
This aircraft had a range of 1,455 miles and a top speed of 282 mph.
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Air Force Museum: The Memphis Belle (photo diary)
Air Force Museum: North American B-25 B Mitchell (photo diary)