Plane of the Day - Grumman/General Motors TBM Avenger

"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake) 05/01/2014 at 11:41 • Filed to: PLANE OF THE DAY, PLANELOPNIK

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The TBF and TBM had a total of 43 designations assigned to the various models produced by Grumman and General Motors. After the war, overblown news stories appeared about the loss of Flight 19's five Avengers in the ill-starred Bermuda Triangle

TBM means it was built by GM. TBFs were built by Grumman. I just want to point out the the Avenger is a massive airplane. It doesn't look too big in pictures until you note how small the pilots are, but it's huge. It's so big there's actually an internal cabin section for the radio operator!

ttyymmnn > Jayhawk Jake 05/01/2014 at 11:49

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George HW Bush flew the Avenger in WWII.

After Bush's promotion to Lieutenant (junior grade) on August 1, 1944 [at age 20], the San Jacinto commenced operations against the Japanese in the Bonin Islands. Bush piloted one of four Grumman TBM Avenger aircraft from VT-51 that attacked the Japanese installations on Chichijima. His crew for the mission, which occurred on September 2, 1944, included Radioman Second Class John Delaney and Lieutenant Junior Grade William White. During their attack, the Avengers encountered intense anti-aircraft fire; Bush's aircraft was hit by flak and his engine caught on fire. Despite his plane being on fire, Bush completed his attack and released bombs over his target, scoring several damaging hits. With his engine ablaze, Bush flew several miles from the island, where he and one other crew member on the TBM Avenger bailed out of the aircraft; the other man's parachute did not open. It has not been determined which man bailed out with Bush as both Delaney and White were killed as a result of the battle. Bush waited for four hours in an inflated raft, while several fighters circled protectively overhead until he was rescued by the lifeguard submarine USS Finback. For the next month he remained on the Finback, and participated in the rescue of other pilots.

Bush subsequently returned to San Jacinto in November 1944 and participated in operations in the Philippines until his squadron was replaced and sent home to the United States. Through 1944, he flew 58 combat missions for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, and the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to San Jacinto.

Because of his valuable combat experience, Bush was reassigned to Norfolk Navy Base and put in a training wing for new torpedo pilots. He was later assigned as a naval aviator in a new torpedo squadron, VT-153, based at Naval Air Station Grosse Ile, Michigan. Upon the Japanese surrender in 1945, Bush was honorably discharged in September of that year. ( Wikipedia )[

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Jayhawk Jake 05/01/2014 at 11:50

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I was shocked when I first saw one in person how big they are.

My hovercraft is full of eels > Jayhawk Jake 05/01/2014 at 12:00

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I love its gurgling sound.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Jayhawk Jake 05/01/2014 at 12:00

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My best-remembered story of the TBF/TBM is the sole survivor of VT-8's flight of them at Midway. First combat outing for the frame, and a flight of six ended up without cover over the Japanese fleet - what a way to break it in. Al Earnest and Harry Ferrier limped their plane to safety with gunner Jay Manning dead in the cockpit (the account I read mentioned him "dripping on" Ferrier IIRC - lurid). I believe Earnest may have been injured, and Ferrier had a bullet hole through his hat .

Viggen > Jayhawk Jake 05/01/2014 at 12:15

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And most importantly a vast improvement over the Devastator.

user314 > Jayhawk Jake 05/01/2014 at 12:35

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Five TBM Avengers of Flight 19 infamously disappeared somewhere off Florida 12/5/1945.

And then the turned up in the Sonora Desert in 1977 ...

MonkeePuzzle > Jayhawk Jake 05/01/2014 at 12:48

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they are HUGE inside. I always though the pilots looked oddly like they were sitting on top of these, not in them, and this cavernous interior space really explains why

Roundbadge > Jayhawk Jake 05/01/2014 at 12:52

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I got to see a TBF at the 2006 Akron Fulton air show. We were standing downwind of it, maybe 150' away when it started up. Almost everyone in the crowd I was in choked and coughed and made faces when the cloud of avgas exhaust reached us...my girlfriend laughed as I breathed deeply with a huge smile on my face.

Also saw a gentleman plant his lawn chair directly behind an SBD that was parked. The pilot suggested that everyone move back when he was climbing in to start it. The fellow ignored his suggestion and stayed in place as the engine was fired. He looked around with disdain at those who had moved away...only to be sent tumbling backwards in the prop wash as the pilot pushed the throttle forward.

Jayhawk Jake > MonkeePuzzle 05/01/2014 at 14:25

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The airplane that really stands out to me as being bigger than it looks is the F-105 Thunderchief

Look at the tiny little pilots!

ttyymmnn > Viggen 05/01/2014 at 16:40

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It's an interesting commentary on the pace of technological advancement in aviation that the Devastator was state of the art when it was introduced in 1937, but obsolete by the time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

ttyymmnn > user314 05/01/2014 at 16:41

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I saw that documentary too!