Mystery TBM

[Steve Rister]

Hi Everyone,
Looking to identify TBM and owner of an Avenger that attended the 1984 (yes 1984!) Denton airshow. It was numbered 32 and I believe based out of Arkansas.

Thanks for any help!
Steve Rister

[Warbirdnerd]

Could it be this one?
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/avengerr ... 91726.html

[Fairfax Ghost]

Is this her??

It at one time belonged to Tom Wofford in AR. He sold it to Ron Maggard Here in KC. He had it for a couple years. It is now with Cavanaugh in TX.
Back when this pic. was taken The paint was faded and it looked like it had just come off the the carrier in WWII. Jim

Last edited by Fairfax Ghost on Wed May 30, 2007 12:50 am, edited 1 time in total.

[JBrawner]

well if its the one at cavanaugh flight musuem then its this one, they were out running it up and flying her getting some pilots typed in her. so it was a nice memorial day for me

[Ztex]

Denton 1984?
TBM?
Which one?

Here's pictures of TBM's from that weekend...
N9586Z


N88HP


N3976N


N7001C


Unknown by my photos



N86280
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/avengerregistry/avenger-86280.html

[Fairfax Ghost]

The 3rd one #41 was at the time owned/flown by Gary Skarda also from AR. I went for a RIDE with him at the show here in KC.

Me in the turret WOW what a ride. Gary later lost his life in a cropduster.

[planeoldsteve]

This one

GRUMMAN TBM AVENGER • $165,000

http://www.barnstormers.com/classified_ ... enger.html

Steve

[AirJimL2]

The unknown photo above is TBM-3R BuNo. 86123 now at the Mid America Air Museum in KS. Oddly the registry shows 86123 at the USS Hornet when the Hornet aircraft is BuNo. 69375.

Jim

[Versatile]

I helped Tommy Wofford turn his prop thru on this airplane once and then gave him a hand step to get into the cockpit. The best i remember this ac had a bullet hole patch i was told. This was about 84-86.

[Eric Friedebach]

Unknown by my photos

Zane, I think Dick Dieter owned that at one time.

[Jake Fendermen]

The COD TBM with 123 was owned by Dick Dieter and Ray Stutsman of Elkhart, IN. Many times it was flown by ex Navy pilot Dick Theim who flew it at the Joliet air show in 1981. I had flown a T-6 to the show and begged Dick for a ride when it came his turn to fly. He said A-OK and I hopped in along with my girl friend Lynn. Dick made a couple of low passes then started a climb to about 800'. I yelled to Lynn that I thought he was going to do something as he rolled in on his initial approach. Sure enough, he pulled the nose up and did a big aileron roll to the left at show center before breaking onto the downwind to land. He said later that he had both hands on the stick to get the big TBM through the roll. Later, I was reading a TBM dash one and saw that the first prohibited manuever was of course, the aileron roll. He did a great job and the plane never knew it was inverted.

"Those were the days".

[Jake Fendermen]

The COD TBM with 123 was owned by Dick Dieter and Ray Stutsman of Elkhart, IN. Many times it was flown by ex Navy pilot Dick Theim who flew it at the Joliet air show in 1981. I had flown a T-6 to the show and begged Dick for a ride when it came his turn to fly. He said A-OK and I hopped in along with my girl friend Lynn. Dick made a couple of low passes then started a climb to about 800'. I yelled to Lynn that I thought he was going to do something as he rolled in on his initial approach. Sure enough, he pulled the nose up and did a big aileron roll to the left at show center before breaking onto the downwind to land. He said later that he had both hands on the stick to get the big TBM through the roll. Later, I was reading a TBM dash one and saw that the first prohibited manuever was of course, the aileron roll. He did a great job and the plane never knew it was inverted.

"Those were the days".

[Eric Friedebach]

Here’s a shot I took of it back in the day. Pretty stock aircraft as I recall other that the modern (at least then) radios.