As rare as Dragon's teeth

摘要

Some of the greatest aviation treasures are found in the most unlikely places. Such is the case at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. Looking across the airfield through the shimmering heat haze, a distinctive shape is to be seen in front of the Columbia Oacific Aviation hangar: the world's only airworthy Douglas B-23 Dragon. This is an aircraft with an interesting lineage. In 1934 Douglas began developing the B-18 Bolo bomber, basically a military adaptation ol the DC-2. The first B-18 flew in 1935, but as World War Two approached its obsolescence was all too apparent, and Douglas offered a major redesign of the B-18 airframe. The initial proposal was designated as the XB-22, but it fell short of requirements, the project being abandoned before anything could be built.