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 USN Grumman TBF-1C Avenger torpedo plane that was attached to VT-2, then embarked upon the USS Hornet (CV-8) during June 1944. Sold Out!

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

Release Date: June 2008

Historical Account: "I Shall Return" - The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a major and decisive naval battle of World War II, and the largest aircraft carrier battle in history. It was fought between the navies of the United States and the Empire of Japan. Part of the wider Pacific War, this action occurred on June 19-20, 1944 off the Mariana Islands and also involved Japanese land-based aircraft. The engagement proved disastrous for the Imperial Japanese Navy which lost three aircraft carriers and some 600 aircraft. These losses are largely attributed to the obsolescence of Japanese aircraft types and even more so to the in most cases extreme inexperience of their air crews, in contrast to the US Navy's more modern Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter, its better-trained and more experienced pilots, and its radar-direction of combat air patrols.