Last Avenger flying..

[Keith Webb]

Thanks for sharing the video Alex!

Although your caption may be a little misleading as there are still quite a few of them flying around the world. There was a pair of them at Temora a couple of years ago, wonderful big birds!

[Mike K]

I met a TBM turret gunner in 1978 . His daughter was out here as an exchange high school teacher . He came out to visit. He lived in Southbend where the Studebakers were built and he worked there . There was or is a Studebaker family and he said they held parties in their mansion and he met them .

Anyway, he was in the US Navy , based on Guadalcanal in a land based TBM squadron . He said they did patrols going out many hundreds of miles , and the biggest fear was becoming lost and ditching in the Pacific. He only spotted Jap aircraft once, in the distance , bombers . He said they always cut their aircrew uniform trousers down to shorts , the heat , and if in the water , made it easier to swim . Sharks were scary too of course . He was about 18 at the time and he said only skinny youngsters fitted into the TBM turret. He knew his vehicles , he said he pranged a Dodge command car while in the Solomons and described the sloping bonnet of a 1/2 tonner.

Mike

[jason meade]

Sure going to miss seeing them flying aroud the area here in the summer, nothing sounds better, you could hear them coming for miles.
Now do you want to know what it could have been bought for?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by jason meade

Sure going to miss seeing them flying aroud the area here in the summer, nothing sounds better, you could hear them coming for miles.
Now do you want to know what it could have been bought for?

Love the sound of radial engines. We regularly have a vintage DC-3 flying over.

Let me guess: for the price of two weeks worth of fuel? The cost of an engine overhaul?

H.

[c. ladouceur (RIP)]

I spent 3 years worth of weekends helping restore my father-in-laws TBM at War Plane Heritage in Hamilton,Ont. Never did get a ride in it. Too bad it burnt in the hanger a couple of years ago.

[jason meade]

It was offered to our museum for under 40k plus all the spare parts....make ya cry.

[motto (RIP)]

There was an Avenger at Wanaka (NZ) this year. It was carrying Australian registration but I understand that it was staying in New Zealand as somebody over there had purchased it.

To see the Avenger flying and also an F4U Corsair being put through its paces were the highlights of the show. There is nothing to compare with the sound of a radial engine.

David