Grumman TBF Avenger

hi guy's just building a scale looking 81" rc avenger and just wondering if you could help me with info i want to know what's on the left hand wing tip weather it's a fueling point or what? thank's in advance

reply

I had the good fortune of being a Plane Captain and crew member of one of these great craft, towing targets for our ship's gunnery practice in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba 1952-1954.

Our VU-10 TBM's were modified, eliminating the turret and all armament. Also had the misfortune of crashing once as we were landing on a short runway with an inexperienced pilot (but great guy). [Scared the hell out of the ordance man who popped open the door and "flew" out before the plane had stopped sliding along the runway].

Loved that old "Turkey".

reply

My father was a U.S. navy combat cameraman in the Pacific who flew numerous missions in Avengers from USS Yorktown, USS Hornet and USS Belleau Wood. During WW-II he flew combat missions in SBDs, SB2Cs, PBMs, PB2Ys, PBYs and even six missions in B-29s our of Saipan. However, he always maintained that the TBF was his favorite plane.

Around November 1944 one TBF he was in (from the Hornet, I believe) ditched in the ocean off the Philippines due to battle damage. The top gunner was killed, but my father and the pilot managed to get out and spent 18 hours in a rubber dinghy. He said that plane was so tough that it refused to sink, and they had to shoot it full of holes with their pistols in order to get it to go down. The reason they wanted it to sink was because they were afraid the Japanese on the shore would spot it and get to them before they could be rescued by their own side. In those days, the last thing anybody wanted was to fall into the hands of the Japanese!

reply

I was assigned to Hedron-3 at Cherry Point in 1953 by a Marine Major who thought he was funny, I guess. I had just come out of jet training in the TV-1 & -2 at Kingsville, Texas, and was a HOT PILOT--Russian boots and all. We were 3 airplanes (TBM-3)and 5 pilots. We were assigned as Observation aircraft at Vieques in Puerto Rico, with commissioned observation officers in the back seat for the LantLex Excercise in 1953.. We flew that great monster of an airplane at 90 knots up and down the hills and valleys of Vieques until they could get the OE-1's ashore and assembled. I have never worked so hard at flying an airplane, since it had no control boost, and at low speeds it was like a very large truck with no power steering. Developed great right arm muscles, though, as the AD-5 developed BRF (Big right feet).

reply

Best plane I ever worked on. Very reliable. Had to watch that R2600 for sollowing valves.

reply

We had about 8 of these birds at Capodichino field in Naples with VR-24 Det and FASRON77 from 52-55 while I was there. Good old bird and fun to fly in and work on. Flew mail and movies, etc from Rome to Naples and out to the fleet. Also flew some supplies to various places around the med and to Spain. Great duty.

reply

I was a pilot of a TBM-3D (night equipped) and flew off the USS Saratoga in VT(N) 53 in a night airgroup. Crashed one on deck, another caught on fire. Radome on right wing made the right wing stall out before the left.

reply

I was stationhed in Naples, Italy in the early 50's, we had a couple of these flying out to carriers in the 6th fleet, mostly mail and repair parts.

reply

My father Albert J Hall Jr. (AMM3c) was on the Bunkerhill late 1943 to mid 1944 then his unit was transferred to Franklin. A couple of questions, I am trying to find out which VT unit he was assigned to and even though he was an Aviation Machinist, he said times he would be used as gunner in the tail section. I have seen photos of units and the ratings of of many of AMM 2 or AMM 3 had the word (gunner)after the rating. Not sure how often he did this as he was not awarded the Air Medal.He did speak of the bombing of Truk and could not believe that anyone could have survived it. He seemed to really think a lot the TBM, but that was the only aircraft he was associated with during his Navy tour. Any info that would help me I'D his VF unit would be appreciated.

A

reply

I was a radioman in an Avenger from 1943 /1948. Had over 40 combat missions with Air Group 20. Over 100 carrier landings on Enterprise /CV6, Lexington /CV16, Phillipine Sea /CV47. Survived Water Landing Off Luzon, Phillipines. Had five torpedo hits on Japanese forces. Most notable hit on Japanese Battleship, in battle of Leyte Gulf. Some battle damage to plane but what a great Aircraft at the time. Appeared in history channel documentery Battle 360.

Arthur Kropp akrop99@aol.com

reply

If the TBM was not a great aircraft I might not be here today. I have over 500 hours as an Aviation Radioman in the Avenger most of which were with VC-4 aboard the USS White Plains. We survived two mid-air collisions and numerous small arms and AAA hits.

reply

I have just built a kit sit model of the Avenger309 good to hear she is being well looked after.I am a kiwi (New Zealander) was pleased to hear we flew them too. One version is being done as the original 309 and another kitset will be done as one of ours. would you be able by any chance to send a photo to put with her in my model room please? Thanks Garry

reply

My dad was in the navy in WWII as a TBM Avenger Gunner. I happen to look at this site because my son was doing a project on WWII. He was in the Apr. 1944 class out of Memphis. He fought on the Cabot. Anybody out there know him? Would love to hear from you. My dad passed away in 1986 when I was a senior in high school. I am now an airline captain myself. He is missed.

reply

I fly and maintain the TBM Avenger "309" for CAF museum in Grand Junction, CO. I also maintain their website and have done many hours of research. According to the USN stats, the Avenger bore the brunt of most bombs delivered (32,700 tons), ships sunk, and accounted for 98 enemy aircraft destroyed in air-to-air combat while suffering only 47 losses. Note that this was against much nimbler and more heavily armed fighters! Of the 729 Avenger total losses, 422 came from anti-aircraft fire simply due to their tough mission. With nearly 10,000 delivered and over 46,000 combat sorties flown, the Avenger is certainly one of the safest places to be. "Fighters make movies - bombers make history"

reply

My Dad flew the TBM during WW2. The war ended before he was deployed overseas. He said the plane was very slow. He was glad he never saw combat in one of these. He said you had to fly the right speed and angle toward a ship to make the torpedo work properly. He said by the time you released the turbo you were so close to the ship and so slow you could shoot the TBM down with a shotgun! A little exaggeration I'm sure but you get the idea why so many went down during the war.
Kent Scheib Perry, Iowa

reply

I have about 1000 hours in the TBM and two overseas deployments in VC-4 aboard the USS White Plains ,It was a fine plane for its day. No bad habits,easy to dly and land on the ship. A great experiemce !!

reply

After Pensacola I was assigned to torpedo operational training in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I was kept there as an assistant instructor for another 10 months. After that I qualified as a carrier pilot and was assigned to Air Group 7 in San Diego to be with the first replacement of pilots aboard the Roosevelt. Before we actually went boarded, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima stopped everything and the war ended. Of the TBM I would say it was a very stable and dependable plane. I had flown it in Florida probably 4 times a week for torpedo traing classes, test runs after 100 hour checks, towing target sleeves for gunnery practice, night flying training, and once to evacuate the NAS due to a hurricane warning in October 1944. Conservatively, I would estimate that I flew TBM's for at least 250 hours with never a problem.

reply

After completion of radio-radar school in Memphis .Ten. I went to Florida for flight training and aerial gunnery school. At that time the radioman had a 30cal. machine gun.also radar was something new.The screen was about the size of a pack of cigaretes . On completion I went to VT(N)-91 and later VT(N) 53, We did our flying at night and at times it got quite interesting. The TBM was a rather rugged plane but quite slow .

reply

My Dad was stationed at Banana River naval Air Station late in the war. he is gone now, but from the stories he told, I believe he flew as a Radioman in the TBM. I don't have any of his service records. Any way to verify what flew out of BRNAS?

reply

lifornia.

reply