Grumman TBM-3 Avenger
Eastern Aircraft (General Motors) · USA · first flew 1944 · bomber
The TBM-3 is the most produced Avenger variant, built by General Motors' Eastern Aircraft Division with a more powerful R-2600-20 engine, deletion of the ventral gun gondola, and JATO provisions — the definitive late-war torpedo bomber.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | No ventral Plexiglas gun gondola blister under the rear fuselage — earlier TBF-1 and TBM-1 marks have a glazed ventral position with visible windows; the TBM-3 has a faired-over, sheet-metal belly line |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- No ventral Plexiglas gun gondola blister under the rear fuselage — earlier TBF-1 and TBM-1 marks have a glazed ventral position with visible windows; the TBM-3 has a faired-over, sheet-metal belly line
- Wider-chord 'paddle-blade' Hamilton Standard propeller vs the narrower elliptical blades on TBF-1/TBM-1 — the broader prop disc is visible from almost any angle
- Additional lower-lip oil-cooler scoop on the R-2600-20 cowling — more cowl flap segments than earlier marks, giving a busier frontal engine appearance
Against TBF-1/TBM-1: the missing ventral gondola is the clearest cue — earlier marks have a retractable dustbin-style turret under the rear fuselage creating a distinct bulge. The TBM-3's clean belly line is definitive. Against TBM-3W: the 3W has a massive ventral radome giving a 'pregnant' silhouette. The Avenger family's distinctive greenhouse canopy and large angular fuselage are unique among WWII carrier types.
Specifications
- The Grumman TBM-3 Avenger has a length of 12.48 m (41 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16.51 m (54 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 444 km/h (276 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Production began 1944; 4,657 TBM-3s and sub-variants built, making it the most numerous Avenger mark. Eastern Aircraft built over 7,500 Avengers total under the TBM designation while Grumman (TBF) shifted to F6F production. The TBM-3 equipped most US and Allied carrier torpedo bombing squadrons in the final year of the Pacific war. Post-war, TBM-3S/3W versions served extensively in the ASW role through the mid-1950s.
Variants
TBM-3D (early warning radar, APS-20), TBM-3E (improved ASW), TBM-3N (night attack), TBM-3S (ASW hunter), TBM-3W (APS-20 radar in ventral radome, 'Guppy' profile), TBM-3Q (ECM).
Where you'll see it
USN, FAA (Avenger Mk.III), RNZAF, RCN, RAN. Post-war with Brazil, France, Netherlands, Japan (MSA). Fire bomber conversions flew well into the 1980s in Canada and the USA. Airworthy examples at Pensacola, Patriots Point, and warbird airshows.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.