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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;
TBM_1TBM_2
[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]

TBF-1_3-view
                           [Source: Ref [8] - Public Domain]

The table below summarizes the current data collected on this type aircraft, identifying sources for the data
    TBM-3  Source Notes
Primary Source   2  3,8
No of Crew   3
Engine:    
   Qty   1
   Model   R-2600-20
   Displacement  (cu in) 2600
   Power    
     Military (HP)  
     War Emergency (HP)  
    Normal (HP) 1600
    Take Off (HP) 1900
   Eng Dims    
     Length (ft) 5.51
     Width/Dia (ft) 4.51
     Height (ft)  
   Base Engine Wt (lb) 2045
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
   V Tail Area (sq ft) 38.75
     Fin (sq ft)  
     Rudder (sq ft)  
   H Tail Area (sq ft) 102.65
     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 3-13-25

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