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United States' Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bomber1,2,3
Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber:
Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber:
Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber:
Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo bomber, landing on the USS Cowpens:
Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, from the USS Essex, bombing Japan:
Grumman TBM-3 Avenger torpedo bomber:
Grumman TBM-3 Avenger torpedo bomber:
Design
Bomb bay
The bomb bay doors were hydraulically operated by the pilot or the bomb aimer.1
Undercarriage
The main and rear wheels all retracted.1 The tail hook was electrically operated.1
Wings
The wings were folded hydraulically.1
Prototype
The XTBF-1 prototype was first flown on August 1, 1941.2,3
Production
Before the first prototype flew an order for 286 had been placed.2
The TBF-1 first flew in January 1942.3
General Motors Eastern Aircraft starting building the TBMs in November 1942.3 Grumman stopped production in December 1943.3
- Grumman: 2,2914, 2,2931,3
- TBF-1: 1,5253, 2,2902
- TBF-1C: 7643
- 1942: 6464
- 1943: 1,6454
- General Motors Eastern Aircraft1,3: 7,5433, 7,5461,4
- TBM-1: 5503, 2,8822
- TBM-1C: 2,3323
- TBM-3: 4,6642,3
- 1942: 34
- 1943: 1,1094
- 1944: 3,4814
- 1945: 2,9534
- Total: 9,8363, 9,8391
Variants
- XTBF-1: Prototype.2
- XTBF-2: Prototype.3
- XTBF-3: Prototype.3 Had R-2600-20 engine.3
- TBF-1: First appeared in January 1942.2
- TBM-1: Produced by General Motors.2
- TBF-1B: Sent to United Kingdom.2
- TBF-1C: Two 20 mm cannons in wings.2,3
- TBF-1CP: Photo reconnaissance.3
- TBF-1D: Had ASV radar installed.2,3
- TBF-1E: Had ASV radar installed.2,3
- TBF-1L: Had a search light installed in the bomb bay.2,3
- TBM-3: Produced by General Motors (Eastern Division).2,3 Had R-2600-20 engines.2,3 Stronger wings for rockets or radar.3
- TBM-3P: Camera equipped.2
- TBM-3H: Had search radar.2
Usage
The Avengers were used by Britain, New Zealand, and the United States.3
TBF Avengers either destroyed or shared in the destruction of 42 U-boats.1
High velocity aircraft rockets (HVARs) were first used by the Avenger in January 1944.1
The TBF Avenger was in use with the United States Navy until 1954.2
First Unit
The VT-8 received its first TBF-1s in May 1942.2 These were later used at the Battle of Midway.2,3
Midway
Six TBF Avengers were used at Midway and only one returned.1,2
United States
Former US President George Bush was the youngest naval aviator when he flew in combat.1
United Kingdom
Initially called the Tarpon, but was later changed to the Avenger.1
Thirty three squadrons were equipped with the Avenger in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm.1
921 were delivered to the United Kingdom.1 395 TBF-1Bs and 526 TBM-3Bs.2
New Zealand
New Zealand received 63.1,2
| Grumman TBF/TBM Advenger3 | Grumman TBF-1 Avenger1 | Grumman TBF-3 Avenger3 | Grumman TBM-1 Avenger3 | Grumman TBM-1C Avenger3 | Grumman TBM-3 Avenger3 | Grumman TBM-3E Avenger2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Carrier based torpedo bomber3 | Carrier based torpedo bomber1 | Carrier based torpedo bomber2 | ||||
| Crew | 33 | 31 Pilot, radio operator, rear gunner1 |
32 | ||||
| Engine (Type) | Wright R-2600-83 | Wright R-2600-8 Cyclone piston1 | Wright R-2600-20 piston2 | ||||
| OR | Wright R-2600-20 Double Cyclone3 | ||||||
| Cylinders | Radial 143 | Radial 141 | Radial2 | ||||
| Cooling | |||||||
| HP | 8: 1,7003 20: 1,9003 |
1,7001 | 1,9002 | ||||
| Propeller blades | 33 | 31 | |||||
| Fuel capacity | 330 gallons1 1,248 liters1 |
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| Dimensions | |||||||
| Span | 54' 2"3 16.51 m3 |
54' 2"3 16.51 m3 |
54' 2"2 16.51 m2 |
||||
| Length | 40'3 12.19 m3 |
40'3 12.19 m3 |
40' 11.5"3 12.48 m3 |
40' 11.5"2 12.48 m2 |
|||
| Height | 16' 5"3 5.06 m3 |
16' 5"3 5.06 m3 |
15' 5"2 4.7 m2 |
||||
| Wing area | 490 ft2 2 45.52 m2 2 |
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| Weight | |||||||
| Empty | 10,080 lb3 4,572 kg3 |
10,534 lb1 4,788 kg1 |
10,545 lb3 4,783 kg3 |
10,545 lb2 4,783 kg2 |
|||
| Loaded | 15,906 lb3 7,215 kg3 |
17,327 lb1 7,786 kg1 |
17,895 lb3 8,117 kg3 |
17,895 lb2 8,117 kg2 |
|||
| Performance | |||||||
| Speed @ 12,000' / 3,658 m |
271 mph3 436 kph3 |
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| Speed @ 15,000' / 5,030 m |
270 mph1 436 kph1 |
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| Speed @ 16,500' / 5,030 m |
276 mph2 444 kph2 |
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| Cruising speed | 145 mph3 233 kph3 |
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| Climb | 1,425'/minute1, 1,430'/minute3 435 m/minute1, 436 m/minute3 |
2,060'/minute2 628 m/minute2 |
|||||
| Service ceiling | 22,400'1,3 6,827 m3, 6,830 m1 |
30,100'2 9,175 m2 |
|||||
| Range | 1,100 miles1, 1,215 miles3 1,778 km1, 1,955 km3 |
1,010 miles2 1,625 km2 |
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| Armament | |||||||
| Forward firing | 2: 12.7 mm2 | ||||||
| Nose | 2: 0.3" MG3 2: 12.7 mm MG1 |
2: 0.3" MG3 | 2: 0.3" MG3 | 2: 0.3" MG3 | |||
| Rear turret | 12.7 mm MG1 | ||||||
| Dorsal | 1: 0.5" MG3 | 1: 0.5" MG3 | 1: 0.5" MG3 | 1: 0.5" MG3 | 1: 12.7 mm2 | ||
| Ventral position | 2: 0.3" MG3 7.62 mm MG1 |
2: 0.3" MG3 | 2: 0.3" MG3 | 2: 0.3" MG3 | 1: 7.62 mm2 | ||
| Outer wings | 2: 0.5" MG3 | 2: 0.5" MG3 | |||||
| Under wings | 8: 60 lb rockets3 8: 27 kg rockets3 |
8: 60 lb rockets3 8: 27 kg rockets3 |
|||||
| Bombs | 1,600 lb3, 2,000 lb1 726 kg3, 907 kg1 |
1,600 lb3 726 kg3 |
2,000 lb3 907 kg3 |
2,000 lb3 907 kg3 |
2,000 lb2 907 kg2 |
||
| OR | |||||||
| Torpedo | 11 1: 22"3 |
1: 22"3 | 1: 22"3 | 1: 22"3 | 12 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
- Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
- TBF/TBM Avenger Units of World War 2, Barrett Tillman, 1999
