And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Most Avengers were built by GM's Eastern Aircraft Division, to free up the assembly lines at Grumman for F6F Hellcat production. The yellow critter at the top, is an SNJ trainer, made by GMC's North American Aviation Division. GMC was a very big company!
Those aren't fighters, they're torpedo bombers. Their pilots covered themselves in glory at the Battle of Midway and died to a man, except for George Gay, in the process of doing it.
Gay was a TBD Devastator crewman, who was the sole survivor from his squadron at Midway. 6 Brand New Avengers (the planes shown here) made their combat debut at Midway. Out of 6 new TBMs that attacked, 5 were lost. As for TBM vs TBF, there is no quick was to tell them apart. Data Plates are the only real clue, unless you are close enough to the plane to make at small details.
This guy calls the TBF Avenger the best dive bomber of the war:
https://youtu.be/46R16G0iRAQ
TBF - Grumman, TBM - General Motors if anyone cares and/or doesn't know. Powered bu the Wright Cyclone R-2600-8 at 1700 HP. Okay, I'll stop sperging out there.
TBM's.....can't be too many more of these in flying condition left in the world!
ReplyDeleteHow do you distinguish a TBF from a TBM? Any visual clues?
DeleteThanks
The data plate, basically.
DeleteMost Avengers were built by GM's Eastern Aircraft Division, to free up the assembly lines at Grumman for F6F Hellcat production. The yellow critter at the top, is an SNJ trainer, made by GMC's North American Aviation Division. GMC was a very big company!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous.
ReplyDeleteMeh.
ReplyDeleteIt's when they fly, man.
Eight of those big radials overhead, and you can feel the freedom in your chest.
Nothing flying overhead gets my attention quicker than the sound of a large radial.
DeleteBeautiful. Sure would have been an honor to be a fighter pilot in one of those.
ReplyDeleteThose aren't fighters, they're torpedo bombers. Their pilots covered themselves in glory at the Battle of Midway and died to a man, except for George Gay, in the process of doing it.
DeleteDidn't Mr. Gay come out of an TBD?
DeleteGay was a TBD Devastator crewman, who was the sole survivor from his squadron at Midway. 6 Brand New Avengers (the planes shown here) made their combat debut at Midway. Out of 6 new TBMs that attacked, 5 were lost.
ReplyDeleteAs for TBM vs TBF, there is no quick was to tell them apart. Data Plates are the only real clue, unless you are close enough to the plane to make at small details.
This guy calls the TBF Avenger the best dive bomber of the war:
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/46R16G0iRAQ
TBF - Grumman, TBM - General Motors if anyone cares and/or doesn't know.
Powered bu the Wright Cyclone R-2600-8 at 1700 HP.
Okay, I'll stop sperging out there.