Description
Hobby Master 1:72 Air Power Series Diecast Model
Grumman TBM-3 (TBF) Avenger - White 86, VC-88, USS Saginaw Bay, U.S. Navy, March 1945
1:72 Scale. Length: 6.75". Wingspan: 9”
Limited to 400 Models Worldwide
From January 1945 until March 1945 the USS Saginaw Bay provided air cover for the invasion of Iwo Jima and VC-88 lost one TBM Avenger. On March 1, 1945, the 5th Fleet begins its raids on the Ryukyu Islands in preparation for the assault on Okinawa. On March 24, 1945, one day before the start of the invasion, USS Saginaw Bay arrived on station off Okinawa and provided air support to the invading ground forces with VC-88 losing another TBM-3. The USS Saginaw Bay left for the United States on April 29, 1945.
The TBF/ TBM Avenger was a single-engine torpedo bomber aircraft used by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. It was developed by Grumman as a replacement for the Douglas TBD Devastator. First flown on August 7, 1941 the Avenger entered operational service in 1942 and first saw action during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. The Avenger was the first aircraft to feature a new wing-folding mechanism, created by Grumman to maximize the storage space on an aircraft carrier.
The Avenger had a three man crew: pilot, turret gunner and radioman/bombardier/ventral gunner and was armed with several machine guns for defense. Its large bomb bay could carry one Mark 13 torpedo, a single 2,000 pound (907 kg.) bomb, or up to four 500 pound (227 kg.) bombs. With a 30,000 ft. (10,000 m) ceiling and a range of 1,000 mi (1,610 km.) the Avenger was better than any previous American torpedo bomber.
By 1943 Grumman began to slowly phase out production of the Avenger in order to produce the F6F Hellcat fighter. The Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors took over manufacturing the aircraft, designated TBM. Of the 9,836 TBF/TBM Avengers built, GM made 7,546 of them.
Hobby Master offers a wide selection of quality, pre-assembled, diecast model airplanes. Each model is crafted to a high level of accuracy using specifications of the original aircraft. They are constructed with precision-made diecast metal and some plastic components.
This model of a TBM-3 Avenger features:
Opening canopy
Detailed cockpit with removable crew figures
Realistic panel lines and antennas
Historically accurate printed markings
Rotatable propeller
Gun turrets
Optional extended landing gear
Display stand
Box with TBM Avenger artwork
Category: Hobby Master 1:72 Military Aircraft Models
Not suitable for children under the age of 14
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