Here are some more images of Trumpeters 1/32 scale Grumman TBM-3 Avenger torpedo bomber.
The markings on this model were those flown by George HW Bush in World War Two.
From Wikipedia"
The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world.
The Avenger entered U.S. service in 1942, and first saw action during the Battle of Midway.
Despite losing five of the six Avengers on its combat debut, it
survived in service to become one of the outstanding torpedo bombers of World War II. Greatly modified after the war, it remained in use until the 1960s.
Douglas' TBD Devastator,
the U.S. Navy's main torpedo bomber introduced in 1935, was obsolete by
1939. Bids were accepted from several companies but Grumman's TBF
design was selected as the TBD's replacement and two prototypes were
ordered by the Navy in April 1940. Designed by Leroy Grumman, the first prototype was called the XTBF-1. It was first flown on August 1, 1941. Although one of the first two prototypes crashed near Brentwood, New York, rapid production continued.
Grumman's first torpedo bomber was the heaviest single-engine aircraft of World War II, and only the USAAF's P-47 Thunderbolt
came close to equalling it in maximum loaded weight among all
single-engined fighters, only being some 400 lb (181 kg) lighter than
the TBF, by the end of World War II. The Avenger was the first design to
feature a new "compound angle" wing-folding mechanism created by
Grumman, intended to maximize storage space on an aircraft carrier; the F4F-4 and later models of Wildcat received a similar folding wing and the F6F Hellcat (both designed by Grumman) employed this mechanism as well. The engine used was the Wright R-2600-20 Cyclone 14 twin-row radial engine (which produced 1,900 hp/1,417 kW). The aircraft took 25 gallons of oil and used one gallon per minute at start-up.
There were three crew members: pilot, turret gunner and
radioman/bombardier/ventral gunner. One .30 caliber machine gun was
mounted in the nose, a .50 caliber (12.7 mm) gun was mounted right next
to the turret gunner's head in a rear-facing electrically powered
turret, and a single .30 caliber hand-fired machine gun mounted
ventrally (under the tail), which was used to defend against enemy
fighters attacking from below and to the rear. This gun was fired by the
radioman/bombardier while standing up and bending over in the belly of
the tail section, though he usually sat on a folding bench facing
forward to operate the radio and to sight in bombing runs. Later models
of the TBF/TBM dispensed with the nose-mounted gun for one .50 caliber
gun in each wing per pilots' requests for better forward firepower and
increased strafing ability. There was only one set of controls on the
aircraft, and no access to the pilot's position from the rest of the
aircraft. The radio equipment was massive, especially by today's
standards, and filled the whole glass canopy to the rear of the pilot.
The radios were accessible for repair through a "tunnel" along the right
hand side. Any Avengers that are still flying today usually have an
additional rear-mounted seat in place of the radios, allowing for a
fourth passenger.
The Avenger had a large bomb bay, allowing for one Bliss-Leavitt Mark 13 torpedo, a single 2,000 pound (907 kg) bomb, or up to four 500 pound (227 kg) bombs.
The aircraft had overall ruggedness and stability, and pilots say it
flew like a truck, for better or worse. With its good radio facilities,
docile handling, and long range, the Grumman Avenger also made an ideal
command aircraft for Commanders, Air Group (CAGs). With a 30,000 ft
(10,000 m) ceiling and a fully loaded range of 1,000 mi (1,610 km), it
was better than any previous American torpedo bomber, and better than
its Japanese counterpart, the obsolete Nakajima B5N "Kate". Later Avenger models carried radar equipment for the ASW and AEW roles. Although improvements in new types of aviation radar were soon forthcoming from the engineers at MIT and the electronic industry, the available radars in 1943 were very bulky, because they contained vacuum tube
technology. Because of this, radar was at first carried only on the
roomy TBF Avengers, but not on the smaller and faster fighters.
Escort carrier sailors referred to the TBF as the "turkey" because of its size and maneuverability in comparison to the F4F Wildcat fighters in CVE airgroups.
a great job, the scheme and details are really good
ReplyDeleteThanks Pablo!
ReplyDeleteHi warren
ReplyDeleteIm arthur, i fell in love with your GRUMMAN AVENGER
one question do you sell it? Ive been searching all over internet for one , and i dont have the time to build it.
If your answer is yes, name the price, i really want it...
Thanks
Hi Arthur - Sorry but it's not for sale as I love it as well.
ReplyDelete