Hobby Master 1:72 Air Power Series Diecast Model

Grumman TBM-1C Avenger - "Barbara III", LTJG George H.W. Bush, VT-51, USS San Jacinto (CVL-30), U.S. Navy, September 2, 1944

1:72 Scale.  Length: 6.75".  Wingspan: 9”


Limited production of approximately 700 models worldwide

On September 2, 1944, George Herbert Walker Bush was piloting his three-man TBM Avenger “Barbara III” on a raid to the island of Chichi Jima. As he began his dive on the target the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and began to burn but Bush continued his dive. He then turned toward the sea and told the crew to bail out because the aircraft might explode. Unfortunately only two of the men got out, George Bush’s chute opened but the second didn’t. Bush was later rescued by a U.S. Navy submarine.

The TBF/ TBM Avenger was a torpedo bomber used by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps during World War II. It was developed by Grumman to replace the Douglas TBD Devastator. First flown on August 7, 1941, the Avenger entered service in 1942 and first saw action during the Battle of Midway. The Avenger was the first aircraft to feature a new wing-folding mechanism, created by Grumman to maximize storage space on an aircraft carrier.

The Avenger had a crew of three (pilot, turret gunner, 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 miles (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 made with diecast metal and some plastic components.

This model of a TBM Avenger features: