"Turkeys" for your Thursday ...

[SaxMan]

Something to be thankful for: Being able to have the opportunity to help out from time to time with this particular "Turkey" and get to see her return to the sky for the first time in 13 years on April 18, 2014. Here she slipping the surly bonds of earth on her first post-restoration flight in the very capable hands of John Fuentes.

DSC_0244 by onyxsax, on Flickr

This is, of course, the National Capital Squadron of the CAF's new Avenger, Bureau 91426, restored by Jack Kosko and his remarkable crew in Fawn Grove, PA.

[NathanT24]

TFLM Avenger Wings Over Houston!

[tom d. friedman]

ahhh........ a wix thanksgiving tradition!! happy holidays friends!!

[steve dickey]

Happy Thanksgiving folks. Make it a nice one and a safe one ... all the best to you and yours

M

Here's the first of many birds over the next couple days ... Somewhat unusual setup IMO. Anyone care to elaborate?


Photo states: TBF-1 probably assigned to FABU-1 pictured on the deck of the escort carrier USS Mission Bay CVE-59 date unknown

Smoke laying system??

[Jim MacDonald]

Dang it Steve, you beat me to it. That's my not-so-edumacated guess too.

Mac

[Mark Allen M]

I haven't seen much for photo evidence of this, till now.


TBM Avenger of VT-83, nicknamed "Cultured Vulture II" from the U.S.S. Essex, CV-9, looking for POW camps over Toyko in August 1945. (For those who prefer 'Vulture' instead of 'Turkey')


General Motors TBM-1D on the ground at Naval Air Training Center (NATC), Patuxent River.


TBM Avenger during an escape drill at Naval Air Station NAS Ft Lauderdale Florida.


TBM Avenger Nicknamed "Dunkin Dora" the training Turkey located at Naval Air Station NAS Ft Lauderdale Florida

[Tulio]

A "pavo" (turkey) from a different latitude, bringing a little Latin American flavor to the thread

Uruguayan Naval air arm TBF. Photo via Ratones de Hangar / Wilman Fuentes.


Saludos y'all and Happy Thanksgiving!


Tulio

Attachments

[Larry Kraus]

Mark, my guess is that your mysterious device on the TBF/TBM is a launcher for the Mousetrap version of the Hedgehog ASW rocket. I would assume that they are mounted toward the rear because they wouldn't have the velcocity to be fired forward from a relatively fast airplane and, as they only exploded on contact after landing in the water, they would likely be fired on crossing over the target. I believe that there was something similar used on B-18's that had MAD gear. on the B-18 they were referred to as retro rockets because the rocket actually retarded the forward motion and cused the projectile to hit the water directly under where they were fired.

[steve dickey]

A "pavo" (turkey) from a different latitude, bringing a little Latin American flavor to the thread

Uruguayan Naval air arm TBF. Photo via Ratones de Hangar / Wilman Fuentes.


Saludos y'all and Happy Thanksgiving!


Tulio

Hey Tulio, what ever became of that one and how many did Uruguay operate? I have an uncle from there so I'm always interested in what was down there. Thanks in advance.

[Tulio]

Steve,

It is my understanding, that all the Avengers, and all the Hellcats are long gone, probably to the beer-can Vallhalla (sp?) and I know for a fact, that one small piece of a Hellcat that the museum has, made it there because I donated it to them a few years ago.

Saludos,


Tulio

[Mark Allen M]

Ah yes, thought I saw a model of a Uruguayan F6F somewhere.


Photo source: Saaffan photobucket album

[Mark Allen M]

Happy Thanksgiving from the crew of the USS Princeton. (Just because it's an impressive photo)