Grumman Avenger TBM-3E: Start-up, Takeoff & Landing

The Navy’s Outstanding Torpedo Bomber!

The Grumman Avenger was a torpedo bomber plane that was designed for the United States Navy and Marine Corps but because of its success record, was eventually used by other Allied forces as well. Introduced to the war in 1942, the Avenger had many variations, as modifications made it more useful depending on the designated mission. With a maximum speed of 275 mph and range of about 1,000 miles, these bad boys were perfect for flying out in search of ships and submarines.

This is what the basic Avenger had for firepower:

• • One 7.62mm nose-mounted M1919 machine gun or two 12.7mm wing-mounted M2 machine guns in later versions
  • A 12.7mm dorsal-mounted M2 machine gun
  • A 7.62mm ventral-mounted M1919 machine gun
  • Up to eight rockets and up to 2,000 lbs. of bombs

A really interesting fact about the Avenger however, is the fact that during the ’40s it was part of a counter-illumination camouflage research. Fitted with forward facing lights, the brightness of the bulbs was automatically adjusted to match the brightness of the sky, making the Avenger almost invisible. With this technology, these bombers were able to approach their target within 3,000 yards without being seen!