Grumman TBF
| Grumman TBF / TBM Avenger | |
|---|---|
 TBF-1 US Navy, early 1942 |
|
| Type: | Torpedo bombers |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
August 7, 1941 |
| Commissioning: |
1942 |
| Production time: |
1942 to 1945 |
| Number of pieces: |
9,836 |
The Grumman TBF Avenger was the standard torpedo bomber used by the US Navy for the last few years of World War II and beyond.
history
Development and World War II
The Avenger (German avenger) was developed in 1939 due to a tender by the US Navy for a new torpedo bomber, which should replace the outdated Douglas TBD Devastator . In August 1939, six companies submitted 13 design studies, whereupon one of two designs by the Grumman company - which had previously been the main supplier for the naval fighter aircraft - was selected for series production on April 8, 1940. The first flight of the prototype XBTF-1 of the three-seater TBF-1 developed under the project name G-40 took place on August 7, 1941. A second test model started on December 15, 1941 and shortly afterwards the machine, which was renamed Avenger after the attack on Pearl Harbor accepted by the Navy. Series production began in January 1942 at Grumman. The first shipment of 100 aircraft reached Pearl Harbor shortly before the Battle of Midway in June 1942 - too late to convert the torpedo squadrons of the US aircraft carriers to the new model. So only a group of volunteers from the VT-8 torpedo squadron with six TBF-1 from Midway took part in the battle. Of the Avengers deployed without fighter protection, all but one seriously damaged machine were shot down. After Midway, all of the Navy's torpedo squadrons were converted from the Devastator to the Avenger. The US Marine Corps converted the first of 23 squadrons to the Avenger from September 1942.
Since the naval forces of the United States needed more and more Avengers and Grumman was already busy with the production of the F6F Hellcat , the General Motors Company had to step in from the end of 1942 to produce the required number (the 7,546 machines built by General Motors were called TBM ). The number of all Avengers built amounts to 9,836 machines, of which 921 machines were delivered to the British Royal Navy and 63 machines to the Royal New Zealand Air Force . This amount also shows the importance of this type of aircraft for the Navy.
_in_June_1944_(80-G-432851).jpg)
The design was changed only slightly during the Second World War. Over 1,000 TBF / TBMs (called Tarpon MK I and later Avenger MK I ) were also used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy in theaters of war in the Atlantic and Pacific . The Avenger was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
From the end of 1943, a large number of Avengers were factory-fitted or retrofitted with ASD-1 centimeter -wave radar (AN / APS-3), which was mounted in a container on the right fore wing and was able to detect enemy aircraft, surface ships and submarines. These were named TBF-1C and -1D; they also received a modified machine-gun armament and could use unguided missiles. The TBF-1E received an An / APS-4 radar, the TBF-1L a retractable searchlight and the TBF-1P served as a photo scout. A single prototype XTBF-2 was used to test a new engine. The second most important variant of the Avenger was the TBM-3, which was equipped with a more powerful engine and a cockpit that was better suited for night use. Their prototype XTBF-3 flew for the first time in June 1943. Their special wings made it possible to carry rockets and external tanks. A large number of these TBM-3s were delivered without a rear MG.
The Avenger's torpedo capacity also had a big impact on the Japanese fleet during World War II, and the rugged construction made it less vulnerable to enemy anti-aircraft defenses.
The future US President George HW Bush , as the youngest Navy pilot at the time, flew the "White 2" Avenger on the VT-51 ( USS San Jacinto ).
After the war
After the war, the number of aircraft was greatly reduced and over the next three years alone, 15 squadrons were retired. However, the Avenger found its place in various niches of naval aviation. The US Navy used them as a search and rescue aircraft ( SAR ), all-weather night bomber (TBM-3N), carrier for electronic countermeasures (TBM-3Q), photo reconnaissance aircraft (TBM-3P), liaison and supply aircraft for aircraft carriers (TBM- 3R) and as a target tow plane during target practice (TBM-3U). The TBM-3E, which was able to carry an AN / APS-4 radar under the right wing, served as a torpedo bomber. The TBM-3W and TBM-3W2 were used to search for submarines and were equipped with the long-range AN / APS-20 radar, the TBM-3H with search radar and TBM-3L with searchlights. The fight against the submarines was then carried out by TBM-3S and TBM-3S2. During the Korean War, it was used to transport the wounded and, with its armament and armor, to supply the aircraft carriers.
In 1953, anti- submarine versions of the Avenger were ordered by the Royal Navy. These versions ran under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP). The Avenger AS Mk IV or AS Mk V were in service until 1955 and were then decommissioned with the introduction of the Fairey Gannet . Under the MDAP program, these aircraft were also exported to France , Japan , Canada and the Netherlands .
In the USA the last TBM-3S were taken out of service in 1954 and the last TBM-3W2 in 1956.
today
Some Avengers are still in service after 60 years, for example in Canada as an observation machine or fire-fighting aircraft over the Canadian forests. Many Avengers have also found their way into airplane museums and collectors .
Users
construction
The Avenger was an all-metal mid- wing aircraft with foldable wings for aircraft carrier use. A 14-cylinder double radial engine R-2600 Cyclone from Wright with up to 1305 kW and a three-blade propeller served as drive . The internal fuel supply was 1268 liters. The rear wheel undercarriage was retractable, had simple tires and was robustly built to withstand landings with a sink rate of up to 5 m / s. The cabin for the three-person crew could be entered through a door in the right rear side of the fuselage. The pilot and navigator look in the direction of flight, the radio operator in the direction of the stern. The navigator and radio operator were both machine gunner and bombardier. Depending on the version, the armament was an electrically operated 12.7 mm MG with 400 rounds of ammunition on the fuselage behind the cockpit, a 7.62 mm MG with 300 rounds of ammunition in front of the cockpit and a 7.62 mm gun. MG with 500 rounds of ammunition used under the rear fuselage. Furthermore, 908 kg bombs, a 558 mm torpedo Mk.13 or a 1041 liter additional tank could be carried in the bomb bay. Starting with the TBF-1C, instead of the 7.62 mm bow machine gun, two 12.7 mm machine guns, each with 600 rounds of ammunition, were installed in the wing roots.
production
Acceptance of the Grumman Avenger by the US Navy:
| Manufacturer | version | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grumman, Bethpage | XTBF-1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Grumman, Bethpage | TBF-1 | 1 | 646 | 879 | 1,526 | ||
| Grumman, Bethpage | TBF-1C | 765 | 765 | ||||
| GM Eastern, Trenton | TBM-1 | 3 | 547 | 550 | |||
| GM Eastern, Trenton | TBM-1C | 563 | 1,773 | 2,336 | |||
| GM Eastern, Trenton | TBM-3 | 1,708 | 2,303 | 4.011 | |||
| GM Eastern, Trenton | TBM-3E | 647 | 647 | ||||
| GM Eastern, Trenton | XTBM-4 | 3 | 3 | ||||
| TOTAL | 2 | 650 | 2,754 | 3,481 | 2,953 | 9,840 |
Technical specifications
| parameter | Data for TBF-1C |
|---|---|
| Surname: | Grumman TBF Avenger / General Motors TBM Avenger |
| Manufacturer: | Grumman |
| Type: | Torpedo bombers |
| Major versions: | TBF-1, TBM-1, TBM-3 |
| Crew: | 3 men |
| Empty weight: | 4,788 kg |
| Takeoff weight: | 7,876 kg |
| Length: | 12.20 m |
| Height: | 5.00 m |
| Span: | 16.51 m |
| Wing area: | 45.52 m² |
| Max. Speed: | 436 km / h |
| Marching speed: | 233 km / h |
| Climb rate: | 7.3 m / s |
| Service ceiling: | 6,830 m |
| Range: | 4,320 km |
| Engines: | 1 Wright R-2600-8 Cyclone , 14 cylinder, 1,700 hp (1,267 kW) |
| Armament: | one 7.62mm machine gun in the aircraft nose (early models) or two 12.7mm machine guns in the wing roots one 7.62mm machine gun in the fuselage firing at an angle backwards one 12.7mm machine gun in the tail pulpit a 2000-pound or four 500-pound bombs or a 907-kg torpedo in the bomb bay Wing stations for eight 5-inch rockets and auxiliary tanks (TBM-3) |
See also
- List of aircraft types
- Flight 19 , the disappearance of five aircraft of this type in the Bermuda Triangle in 1945.
Web links
- World War 2 Warbirds: The Grumman TBF Avenger ( Memento from May 9, 2003 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b FliegerRevue September 2011, pp. 54–57, The Avenger for Pearl Harbor - Grumman Avenger
- ↑ Statistical Digest of the USAF 1946, p. 100 ff .; www.uswarplanes.net