General Motors TBM-3 Avenger - Navy's Jack-of-All-Trades Bomber

[Nostalgistic]

Would you like to see this in-game?

• Yes
• No

This suggestion was originally posted on the legacy forum and has been imported over here following its permanent shutdown.

General Motors TBM-3 Avenger

  Hello everybody. I’d like to reintroduce and suggest General Motors TBM-3 Avenger, a final major modification and the most produced variant of the Avenger during World War II.

Key Characteristics

• Light Bomber / Torpedo Bomber / Naval Aircraft
• New 1,900-hp Wright R-2600-20 engine
• Redesigned cowling to allow additional cooling for the oil cooler
• Stub launchers for HVARs
• Had a modification that made it possible to carry a Tiny-Tim rocket.

History

Design and Development

In December 1943, Grumman phased out its production of TBF-1C Avengers and concentrated on F6F Hellcats production. The demand for Avengers in the US Navy was still high, so General Motors was awarded the contract that allowed them to overtake the production of TBFs alongside the F4Fs. Five East Coast GM plants were committed to manufacturing the Avengers under the name of the Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors. The Eastern-made TBF-1 Avengers were designated TBM-1.

Eventually, the underpowered Avengers needed new upgrades as the war advanced. Wright Aeronautical, a supplier of aircraft engines, was responsible for developing newer engines for SB2C Helldivers, TBF/TBM Avengers, and others. Wright had been working on the development of an improved Twin Cyclone engine in early 1943. Grumman began working on refitting two Avengers for tests and trials with new engine variants. Wright developed two experimental variants: an XR-2600-10 with a two-stage mechanical supercharger for high-altitude operation and another XR-2600-20 with the usual single-stage supercharger. Both were tested on XTBF-2 and XTBF-3, respectively. Because Avengers were not required to perform extreme high-altitude operations in service, the XTBF-3 with XR-2600-20 engine was accepted for production and re-redesignated to XTBM-3s under General Motors. GM started to kick off the prolonged production of the TBM-3 Avengers in the middle of 1944.

The TBM-3 Avenger’s more powerful engine was the most prominent feature of this model; in addition, it also featured new double cooling intakes (with upper and bottom inlets) and strengthened wings to carry bombs, rockets, or drop tanks.

US Navy & US Marine Corps Service

By 1944, the TBM Avenger became a standard torpedo bomber in the late war. The TBM-3 Avenger’s torpedo-delivery capability impacted the Japanese fleet during the war, and its rugged simplicity made it highly resistant to enemy air defenses. TBMs were also performing ground close support in amphibious invasions and daylight anti-shipping attacks with bombs. Overall, the TBM Avengers were critical assets for the US Navy and participated in naval actions against the Imperial Japanese Navy.

One particularly noteworthy action was the Battle off Samar on October 25, 1944, when a powerful Japanese fleet ambushed the American force landing on Leyte in the Philippines. Only a remaining group of destroyers and escort carriers codenamed TAFFY 3 was left to protect the landing force. The TAFFY 3 had no choice but to engage the Japanese fleet. Its destroyers executed aggressive torpedo attacks; escort carriers deployed TBM Avengers and FM-2 Wildcats to hit the Japanese warships with everything they had. As a result, the Japanese found themselves dissuaded and chose not to push to their advantage, so they had to withdraw to flee from the arrival of US Navy reinforcements at the cost of heavy American losses.

The TBM Avengers were among the torpedo bombers used during the sinking of Japanese super battleships Musashi and Yamato.

At the closure of World War II, General Motors produced +4,000 TMB-3s while Grumman produced +700 TBF-1Cs. The Avengers have claimed about 30 submarine kills, including the cargo submarine I-52. They were one of the most effective sub-killers in the Pacific theater and the Atlantic when escort carriers were finally available to escort Allied convoys.

Specifications

General Motors TBM-3 Avenger

General Characteristics

• Crew: 3 (Pilot, Dorsal-Turret Gunner, and Ventral-Turret Gunner)
• Dimensions:
  • Length: 40 ft 11.5 in (12.5 m)
  • Height: 16 ft 9 in (5.1 m)
  • Span: 54 ft 2 in (16.5 m)
  • Wing Area: 490 sq ft (45.5 sq m)
• Propeller:
  • Type: 3-bladed Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propeller
  • Diameter: 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m)
• Powerplant: Wright Cyclone R-2600-20 Twin Cyclone radial piston engine
  • Output: 1,900 hp (1,926.35 ps)
• Fuel/Oil:
  • Internal Fuel: 335 US gal. (1,268 L)
  • Oil: 32 US gal. (121 L)
• Weights:
  • Empty: 10,960 lb (4,971 kg)
  • Gross: 15,940 lb (7,230 kg)

Engine ratings

• Takeoff:
  • 1,900 BHP @ 2,800 RPM @ sea level
• Military:
  • 1,750 BHP @ 2,600 RPM @ sea level - 2,500 ft
  • 1,450 BHP @ 2,600 RPM @ 8,000 - 14,400 ft
• Normal:
  • 1,600 BHP @ 2,500 RPM @ sea level - 3,250 ft
  • 1,350 BHP @ 2,500 RPM @ 8,500 - 15,400 ft

General Performance w/ One Torpedo

• Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.12 hp/lb (0.27 ps/kg)
• Wing Loading: 34.4 lb/sq ft (167.96 kg/sq m)
• Airspeeds:
  • Sea Level: 254 mph (408 km/h)
  • Critical Altitude: 272 mph @ 16,500 ft (437 km/h @ 5,029 m)
  • Stall:
    • Gross Weight: 78.7 mph (127 km/h)
    • Empty Fuel: 73.9 mph (119 km/h)
• Climb Performance:
  • Rate of Climb: 1,480 fpm (7.5 m/s)
  • Time to Altitude:
    • 8.2 minutes to 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
    • 20.0 minutes to 20,000 ft (6,096 m)
• Take-off Distance - Calm: 1,008 ft (307 m)
• Service Ceiling: 28,900 ft (8,808 m)
• Max. Range: 1,065 miles @ 163 mph (1,713 km @ 262 km/h)

Armament

• Guns:
  • 2 x 0.50-cal. forward-firing M2 Browning machine guns (300 rpg; 600 rounds)
  • 1 x 0.50-cal. M2 Browning machine gun in a dorsal-mounted turret (400 rounds)
  • 1 x 0.30-cal. M1919 Browning machine gun in a ventral-mounted turret (500 rounds)
• Fuselage Bomb-Bay:
  • 1 x 2,000-lb bombs
  • 1 x 1,600-lb armor-piercing bombs
  • 2 x 1,000-lb bombs
  • 2 x 1,000-lb armor-piercing bombs
  • 4 x 500-lb bombs
  • 12 x 100-lb bombs
  • 1 x 650-lb depth bomb
  • 4 x 325-lb depth bombs
  • 1 x 2,000-lb naval mine
  • 1 x 1,000-lb naval mine
• Wing Bombs:
  • 2 x 1,000-lb bombs
  • 2 x 500-lb bombs
  • 2 x 250-lb bombs
  • 6 x 100-lb bombs
  • 2 x 650-lb depth bomb
  • 2 x 325-lb depth bombs
  • 2 x 1,000-lb naval mine
• Rockets:
  • 8 x 89-mm FFARs
  • 8 x 127-mm FFARs or HVARs
  • 1 x Tiny-Tim rocket
• Torpedo
  • 1 x Torpedo Mark 13 Mod. 2
• Misc
  • Smoke Tank (Used to lay a smoke screen for allied warships)
  • 2 x 58-gal drop tanks

Supplemental Data

Diagrams

Cockpit

TBM Livery Examples - Illustration

Semi Gloss Sea Blue, Intermediate Blue, and Insignia White

Dark Gull Gray over Insignia White

Sea Blue Gloss

Conclusion | Why it should be in the game

    I made this suggestion to request more World War II-era vehicles for War Thunder. This TBM-3 Avenger received major upgrades with a new engine and expanded air-to-ground armament and was proven to be an effective asset for the US Navy during World War II. Thus, the TBM-3 would be an excellent addition to the US Aviation Tech Tree as an upgrade over the TBF-1C.

Sources

• TBM-3 Avenger Airplane Characteristics & Performance (1 August 1944)
• Pilot’s Handbook of Flight Operating Instructions: Navy Model TBM-3 Airplane, British Model Avenger III Airplane (15 June 1945)
• AN 01-190EB-1 Pilot’s Handbook for Flight Operating Instructions Navy Model TBM-3 Airplane (1 November 1945)
• TBF/TBM Avenger in Action (1987)
• TBF & TBM Avenger in Detail & Scale (1997)
• TBF/TBM Avenger Walk Around (2001)
• https://www.worldwariiaviation.org/grumman-tbm-avenger/
• Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger
• https://www.si.edu/object/grumman-tarpon-i-tbf-1-avenger%3Anasm_A19610117000
• Warbird Alley: Grumman / General Motors / Eastern TBF Avenger
• Grumman TBF Avenger - Wikipedia

Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃

[kingoftigertank]

surprised this isn’t in game already, as a folder with the avenger in game already

[jon_man1199]

A +1 from me, an actual TBM would be nice to see! As for its place in the Tech Tree, I’d suggest just pulling the SBD out of the group with the TBF and replacing it with the TBM. Anyway take my +1

[Nostalgistic]

Here are more images of the TBM Avenger:

[Nostalgistic]

Updated TBM-3 Specifications with Engine Ratings; added Supplemental Data and Diagrams sections.

[BOMBAY9997042-live]

appears to be a modification/ upgrade of the tbf but it’s probably different internally. BUT +1 cause it got lots of hard points.

[GravityRescinded]

Yes please

[Pangolin_Fan]

What would this add that we don’t already have?

[Nostalgistic]

It seems some people still haven’t fully read the suggestions, but that’s alright, I’ll summarize it for you

Unlike the TBF-1C in the game, the GM TBM-3 Avenger features:

• An improved powerplant
• The ability to carry naval mines
• Wing-mounted bombs
• HVAR rockets
• A single Tiny Tim rocket

Overall, the TBM-3 Avenger isn’t drastically different from the TBF-1C, except the powerplant, but it is an upgraded naval bomber with more versatile payload options, including additional bombs and rockets.

My proposal is to add the TBM-3 and put it a folder with the TBF-1C.

[Pangolin_Fan]

There’s multiple planes at its BR which would do what it does, and better. This wouldn’t really add much, unless it’s added as a premium.

[Nostalgistic]

@Pangolin_Fan

There’s multiple planes at its BR which would do what it does, and better.

Please provide examples. I’m interested to know if there are US naval bombers that could fill this role in the gap between the TBF and SB2C.

@Pangolin_Fan

This wouldn’t really add much, unless it’s added as a premium.

Fair enough if you want to add it as a premium. I’m simply pointing out that the General Motors TBM-3 is the direct successor to the Grumman TBF Avenger and, as I mentioned earlier, these options would make it a more formidable naval bomber at 2.0 or 2.3.

[Pangolin_Fan]

I highly doubt it’d have any real use in ARB. Assuming it IS added to 2.3, America completely lacks a 2.3 ground lineup (literally only a single non-premium tank) and so you’d have to bring it up to 2.7, which at that point, you’re better off just bringing a Corsair and or A-36.

[Nostalgistic]

@Pangolin_Fan

I highly doubt it’d have any real use in ARB. Assuming it IS added to 2.3, America completely lacks a 2.3 ground lineup (literally only a single non-premium tank) and so you’d have to bring it up to 2.7, which at that point, you’re better off just bringing a Corsair and or A-36.

Okay. I understand you’re primarily a GRB player. Maybe you shouldn’t be too concerned about this, as the TBM-3 Avenger could serve other purposes in different game modes.

You know that a 2.0/2.3 coastal lineup exists, right? This makes the TBM-3 Avenger an excellent addition for players in naval modes. Just look at the coastal ships it could be paired with, it fits perfectly. I’m sure naval players would appreciate having the TBM-3 Avenger added to their lineup.

@Pangolin_Fan

I highly doubt it’d have any real use in ARB.

That’s not entirely true. There are low-tier players who bring the TBF-1C into ARB. They bomb bases and destroy ground units to drain enemy tickets. Given the gameplay design of ARB, the TBM-3 would have a real purpose there as well.

[Caernarvon02]

new brit + yank plane to make people whine about CAS.

sure why not

[GibProject68U2]

Yes, gib, add it to the French and the British while you’re at it!

[quartas121]

idk where the UK ties into this but yeah, +1

[Nostalgistic]

The UK received at least 200 Avenger Mk.III and later variants, which are the Royal Navy’s designation for the TBM-3/3E.

[Caernarvon02]

TBM-3 Avenger was called the Tarpon in British service

@Nostalgistic

Pilot’s Handbook of Flight Operating Instructions: Navy Model TBM-3 Airplane, British Model Avenger III Airplane (15 June 1945)

Also british docs on the avenger are literally one of his sources did you not read Nostalgics post before making an opinion on potential placements?

[Caernarvon02]

They were also known as Tarpon. However I do think we changed over to calling it avenger later on a bit like how we initially called the Mustang Apache

[quartas121]

I looked at the history thing