Grumman_TBF-TBM.htm

Grumman TBF/General Motors TBM-3 Avenger

The Grumman TBF (General Motors TBM) Avenger was a large carrier-capable naval torpedo/level bomber had its 1st flight on7 August 1941 and entered surface in Mid-1942 taking part in the Battle of Midway. The TBF designation identified this aircraft as the 1st Torpedo Bomber ("TB") developed for the US Navy by Grumman Aircraft Company (which was given the company Designator of "F" by the Navy). Due to the war time need for increased production of various aircraft types, a version of this plane was also produced by Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors as the TBM. The "-3" variant was outfitted with a more powerful powerplant than the earlier "-1" variant and also had wing hardpoints for drop tanks and rockets.

Per Reference [8] this aircraft had a notional crew of three, including a pilot, a gunner and radioman/bombardier, and included a bomb bay sized to carry a US Navy Mk 13 aerial torpedo, one 2000 lb of bomb, or four 500 lb bombs. It had a long greenhouse style canopy leading from the Pilot's position aft to a dorsal turret mounting a single 30 calibre machine gun. Although some variants had a seat behind the Pilot's position, in other variants that space appears to contain extensive radio and electronics gear. As such, the radioman/bombardier was often seated in a space in the aft fuselage, aft of the bomb bay where a ventrally mounted, 30 calibre machine gun could be fitted and manned by the radioman/bombardier when required.

A total of 9,839 of these aircraft were built, in several different variants, operating from both fleet carriers and escort carriers in US Navy and Royal Navy service. Similar to the F4F-4, FM-1, FM-2 and F6F designs developed by Grumman the Avenger made use of the Grumman patented Sto-Wing folding wing configuration which allowed the wings to be hinged and rotated aft to sote along the side of the fuselage when onboard a ship reducing the deck area and hangar height required to strike down the plane on deck or in a carrier's hangar.

This airplane type also served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force during WWII, and several other nations post-war as either anti-submarine aircraft, electronic countermeasures aircraft, airborne early warning aircraft, or general utility aircraft (often with the dorsal turret removed and the aft canopy modified to suite).

As shown in the images below distinguishing features of this aircraft including;

radial engine
long enclosed green house and aft dorsal turret
enclosed bomb/torpedo bay
ventral aft firing machine gun
long retractable landing gear
Sto-Wing folding wing configuration

[Image Sources: Image 1 - US Government/Public Domain via Ref [8] - as annotated by this site
Image 2 - Placed in Public Domain by Original Photographer per Ref [8] - as annotated by this site]

[Source: Ref [14b] - US Government/Public Domain]

[Source: Ref [8] - Public Domain]

The table below summarizes the current data collected on this type aircraft, identifying sources for the data

		TBM-3	Secondary Sources	Notes
Primary Source		2
No of Crew		3
Engine:
Qty		1	8
Model		R-2600-20	8
Displacement	(cu in)	2600	8
Power
Military	(HP)
War Emergency	(HP)
Normal	(HP)	1600	8
Take Off	(HP)	1900	8
Eng Dims
Length	(ft)	5.51	8
Width/Dia	(ft)	4.51	8
Height	(ft)
Base Engine Wt	(lb)	2045	8
Propeller
# Blades		3
Dia	(ft)	13.08
Manufacturer
Type
Wing
Span	(ft)	54.2
Root Thickness	(%)	15.4%
	(in)	22
Total Area	(sq ft)	490
Wing (less Ailerons & Flaps)	(sq ft)
Ailerons	(sq ft)
Flaps	(sq ft)
Tail Area	(sq ft)	141.4	3
V Tail Area	(sq ft)	38.75	3
Fin	(sq ft)
Rudder	(sq ft)
H Tail Area	(sq ft)	102.65	3
Stabilizer	(sq ft)
Elevator	(sq ft)
Total Control Surf Area	(sq ft)
Length
Overall	(ft)	39.9
Fuselage	(ft)	35.8
Body	(ft)	37.8583333
Body Depth	(ft)
Body Width	(ft)
Fuel Tank Volume	(gal)
Wing Tanks	(gal)
FuselageTanks	(gal)
Oil Tank Volume	(gal)
Water Injection Fluid Tank Volume	(gal)
Wetted Area (sqf)	(sq ft)	930
Pwr Ldng	(lb/HP)	8.65
Wing Ldng	(lb/sq ft)	33.55
Struct. Des. GW	(lb)	14500
Ultimate Load Factor	(G's)	6.2
Design Speed	(mph)
Not to Exceed Speed	(mph)

Total Struct Weight		5353
Total Wing		2478
Wing
Ailerons
Flaps
Fuselage Carry-Through
Tail		278
H Tail		194
Stabilizer
Elevator
V Tail		84
Fin
Rudder
Body + Eng Section + LG
Body + LG		2544
Body		1577
Fuselage
Engine Section
Landing Gear		967
Mn Landing Gr		858
Tail/Nose Aux LG		109
Tail Hook		53
Booms
Nacelles
Total Propulsion Weight		3214
Engine w/ Accessories		2133
Engine(s) as Installed		2017
Accessories		116
Turbocharger(s)
Controls		36
Propeller(s)		473
2-Blade
3-Blade		473
4-Blade
Starting System		50
Water Injection System
Tanks
Piping Etc
Cooling System
Lube System		145
Tanks
Piping Etc
Fuel System		377
Tanks
Piping Etc
Total Sys. & Eqpmt.		2397
Instruments		48
Surface Controls		240
Hydraulics		149
Electrical Equip		305
Electronics (Purple means incl in Furn/Gray in Useful Ld)		475
Arm Prov/Equipment & Armor		938
Furnishings		182
Anti-Ice (If not in Furn)		60
Other /Misc
Hoisting Gear
Floatation Gear
Armor Plate

Empty Wt		10964
Basic Mission Useful Load		5474	0
Crew		600
Equipment
Oil		240
Fuel		2010
Fuel & Oil Trapped in Systems
Water Solution for Engine Injection
Bombs/Torp Etc		2000
Radio (if Not Included in Empty Wt)
Nav Equipment
Oxygen System
Armament		455
Guns & Ammo		455
Guns		242
Ammo		213
Pyrotechnics
Camera
Other
Other Useful Load		169
Basic Mission GW		16438

Notes: This website has been developed with a number of low cost or free programs including Hot Metal Pro, KompoZer, MicroSoft Designer and Da Button Factory.com

Rev 3-16-25

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