The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) was an American torpedo bomber, developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps and used by a large number of air forces around the world. It entered service in 1942, and began major use during the Battle of Midway.

The Avenger had a large bomb bay, allowing for one Bliss-Leavitt Mark 13 torpedo, a single 2000 lb (900 kg) bomb, or up to four 500 lb (230 kg) bombs. Torpedoes were generally abandoned after Midway and were not carried again regularly until after June of 1944, when improvements mandated their use again. By that time, it was rare for American aircraft to encounter enemy shipping at sea and the Avenger was primarily employed as a ground support weapon. The plane had overall ruggedness and stability, and pilots say it flew like a truck, for better or worse. With a 30,000 foot (10,000 m) ceiling and a fully-loaded range of 1,000 miles (1,600 km), it was better than any previous American torpedo plane, and better than its chief opponent, the then obsolete Japanese Nakajima B5N "Kate".

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a Grumman Avenger torpedo plane that was attached to VC-88, then embarked upon the USS Saginaw Bay (CVE-82), during March 1945. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 10-inches
Length: 8-inches

Release Date: January 2017

Historical Account: "Casablanca" - USS Saginaw Bay (CVE-82) was an Casablanca-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was laid down as MC hull 1119 on November 1st, 1943, by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Inc., of Vancouver, Washington; launched on January 19th, 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Howard L. Vickery; delivered to the Navy on March 2nd, 1944, at Astoria, Oregon; and commissioned the same day, with Captain Frank C. Sutton in command.

Although the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships states that it was named after an inlet on Kuiu Island in the Alexander Archipelago of Alaska, the ship is actually named after Saginaw Bay, a large bay of Lake Huron located in Michigan.