the330thbg wrote:
OK.., my bad.., not a TBM.., but a TBF.., other than being manufactured by GM and Grumman.., what is the difference?
Ok if memory serves after checking my Big Book Of Avengers The TBF-1 and -1C were identical to the TBM-1C Avenger. The XTBF-3 was the prototype developed by Grumman and became the TBM-3 you all know and love. I read somewhere that they gave General Motors (Eastern Aircraft Division?) a complete TBF but held together with a hell of a lot of Cleco fastners so they could see how it all went together.
Our Airforce got 48 TBF-1 and -1c Avengers. The first 6 (NZ2501-2506) were -1 and they lacked self sealing fuel tanks so stayed in New Zealand. Interestingly the our TBF-1 has both the nose gun AND the wing guns. The TBF-1 originally had only the forward nose gun and no wing guns. Then the TBF-1C had wing guns but no nose gun! The Airforce Museum has NZ2504 which was used as a target tug during the war for our Corsair Squadrons and post war til 1959. She was also used in topdressing trials in 1948!!! (I was on the restoration team in 1979/80 and found super-phospate in the tail cone!!) She is now displayed as TBF-1C NZ2521 which was shot down by AA during a mission.