Aircraft · United States · 1942-1945
Grumman TBF Avenger
torpedo bomber
The largest single-engine carrier aircraft of the war, the Avenger replaced the obsolete TBD Devastator just in time for Midway, where its combat debut was disastrous, but by 1943 it had become the Navy's standard torpedo bomber and a capable sub-hunter and level bomber besides. A young Navy pilot named George H.W. Bush was shot down flying one over Chichijima in 1944 and rescued by submarine.
| crew | 3 |
|---|---|
| top speed | 436 km/h |
| armament | 1x 22in torpedo or 2,000lb bombs, 3x MG |
| produced | 9,839 |