Just Can't Throw These Away... Number Two!

The Douglas B-23 Dragon sketched at a Chino "Planes of Fame" Airshow

This is the other colored piece I found stuffed in a storyboard sketch file. I do remember doing this sketch because I was a bit disgusted that I did not have any more markers with me to capture all the chrome, which on this plane, in that setting, was incredible. I know I took some shots with my camera, probably in slide form, but that too is most likely lost in the ozone somewhere, ha!

Hindsight being what it is, if I had more markers with me, I probably would have ruined the drawing with too much detail. As the day wore on and the Chino heat became unbearable, many people decided to park themselves, lawn chairs and coolers and all, in the shade created by this aircraft's massive wings.

The problem I also had was trying to figure out what kind of aircraft was this. I know that I used to know what it was, but it's been so long, that I had to go to Google to investigate. After receiving many false leads, which in a way was entertaining, the keywords that found it for me was,  Pre-WWII, twin engine, propeller driven, aircraft/ bomber.  And this is what I found...

Bingo! I had forgotten that before it became an upscale airliner for the sophisticated aviation buffs... and millionaires, including Howard Hughes, it was a designed medium range bomber and the first to incorporate a "tail gunner." Before it could ever become a major player in the war, it's need was surpassed by the more agile and faster, B-26 and the B-25.

But, it was fun playing an aviation Sherlock Holmes for a while!

Copyright 2012/ Ben Bensen III