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Who Likes Aircraft ?

German fighter helps this guy home :thumbsup:

c986b61a967330fee573c52459673f43.jpg

2ac80b7f4503492144f60245223d0750.jpg
 
TBFs were made by Grumman, TBMs were made under license by General Motors
 
Auggie56 said:
Only one of the "hard-nosed" Mitchels exist today and that nose was found stored away and installed on a conventional B25 restoration.
Click to expand...
Was that 'Ah'm Available'? It was stored at Aero Trader's storage yard.

Tried for awhile to buy the dang thing...while it was still sitting crashed in the field at Vega.

Err...bet your talking about 'Iron Maiden'.
 
Auggie56 said:
I think it was a TBM if I recall. What are the differences?
Click to expand...
TBF was built by designer, Grumman,, TBM was built by General Motors under license of Grumman. Aircraft are identical I believe.
 
Bladecutter said:
TBF was built by designer, Grumman,, TBM was built by General Motors under license of Grumman. Aircraft are identical I believe.
Click to expand...


This particular plane is a General Motors TBM-3E Avenger, Bureau Number 91436, built by Eastern Aircraft in Trenton, New Jersey. It was accepted by the U.S. Navy n August 3, 1945, and did not fly combat missions during WWII. Postwar, it was based at Atlanta, San Diego, and Seattle, then retired after 600 hours total time. Later stored at Litchfield Park, Arizona, it was stricken from the Navy on May 31, 1956.

tbmfly2.png

91436 was sold by the USN at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California, to the Selk Company of North Hollywood for $2,600 on January 25, 1957, and assigned the civil registration N9569Z. Subsequent owners included Aerial Services of Chino, California, Zack Monroe of Lancaster, California, and Cisco Aircraft Inc., also of of Lancaster. Cisco fitted the aircraft with tanks for aerial spraying or fire fighting. In 1963, N9569Z was acquired by Desert Aviation Services of Phoenix, Arizona, who is believed to have operated it for a couple of seasons.

Sometime during the 1960s, the outer wing panels were removed and the aircraft was towed to downtown Phoenix, where it was operated by Desert Aviation Service for the Buehner Window Company as a wind machine for product testing. Desert Aviation Service became Aircraft Specialties, Inc. who continued to operate the wind machine for Buehner until the mid 1970s when the plane was towed to Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona, for storage and to use as a spare parts source. Aircraft Specialties became Globe Air, Inc. in 1980. This aircraft was sold at the auction of Globe Air assets that was held on October 23, 1985 at Falcon Field. Subsequently, N9569Z was trucked to Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft in Kissimmee, Florida, where restoration to flying condition started.

tbmwwii.png

Specifications
Engine 1900 hp R-2600 14
cylinder radial engine
Weight 10,500 lbs. empty
17,895 lbs. maximum take off
Wing Span 54 ft.
Length 40 ft. 5 in.
Height 15 ft. 5 in.
Crew 3

Performance
Maximum Speed 276 mph at 16,500 ft.
Climb Rate 2,060 fpm
Ceiling 30,100 ft.
Range 1,000 miles

Armament
Guns 2x 50 caliber forward firing machine guns
1x 50 caliber turret gun
Bombs Up to 2,000 lbs. of bombs in bomb bay
Wing Mounted rockets/drop-tanks/radar pod, etc.

Number Built 9836 (7546 by General Motor)

Airworthy Examples: 42
 
Thanks Auggie, I figured that GM built most of the Avengers. That's pretty nutz that the NAVY sold her off w/600 hrs TTAF for **2700.00**!!
I remember at Tucson Int in early 60s a shitload of AT-6s stored that were being pawned off for as little as a 100.00 a pop.
 
Auggie56 said:
This particular plane is a General Motors TBM-3E Avenger, Bureau Number 91436, built by Eastern Aircraft in Trenton, New Jersey. It was accepted by the U.S. Navy n August 3, 1945, and did not fly combat missions during WWII. Postwar, it was based at Atlanta, San Diego, and Seattle, then retired after 600 hours total time. Later stored at Litchfield Park, Arizona, it was stricken from the Navy on May 31, 1956.

View attachment 691565
91436 was sold by the USN at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California, to the Selk Company of North Hollywood for $2,600 on January 25, 1957, and assigned the civil registration N9569Z. Subsequent owners included Aerial Services of Chino, California, Zack Monroe of Lancaster, California, and Cisco Aircraft Inc., also of of Lancaster. Cisco fitted the aircraft with tanks for aerial spraying or fire fighting. In 1963, N9569Z was acquired by Desert Aviation Services of Phoenix, Arizona, who is believed to have operated it for a couple of seasons.

Sometime during the 1960s, the outer wing panels were removed and the aircraft was towed to downtown Phoenix, where it was operated by Desert Aviation Service for the Buehner Window Company as a wind machine for product testing. Desert Aviation Service became Aircraft Specialties, Inc. who continued to operate the wind machine for Buehner until the mid 1970s when the plane was towed to Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona, for storage and to use as a spare parts source. Aircraft Specialties became Globe Air, Inc. in 1980. This aircraft was sold at the auction of Globe Air assets that was held on October 23, 1985 at Falcon Field. Subsequently, N9569Z was trucked to Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft in Kissimmee, Florida, where restoration to flying condition started.

View attachment 691566
Specifications
Engine 1900 hp R-2600 14
cylinder radial engine
Weight 10,500 lbs. empty
17,895 lbs. maximum take off
Wing Span 54 ft.
Length 40 ft. 5 in.
Height 15 ft. 5 in.
Crew 3

Performance
Maximum Speed 276 mph at 16,500 ft.
Climb Rate 2,060 fpm
Ceiling 30,100 ft.
Range 1,000 miles

Armament
Guns 2x 50 caliber forward firing machine guns
1x 50 caliber turret gun
Bombs Up to 2,000 lbs. of bombs in bomb bay
Wing Mounted rockets/drop-tanks/radar pod, etc.

Number Built 9836 (7546 by General Motor)

Airworthy Examples: 42
Click to expand...
Thanks Auggie. I figured that most were built by GM. Pretty Krazee that NAVY sold her off w/600 hrs TTAF for **$2700.00**!!
 
Grumman wanted to clear their production lines so they could concentrate on the Hellcat
 
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