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Description
| Manufacturer: | Grumman |
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| Base model: | TBF | ||
| Designation: | TBF | ||
| Version: | -1 | ||
| Nickname: | Avenger | ||
| Designation System: | U.S. Navy / Marines | ||
| Designation Period: | 1935-1946 | ||
| Basic role: | Torpedo Bomber | ||
Specifications
| Length: | 40'0" | 12.1 m | |
| Height: | 16' 5" | 5.0 m | |
| Wingspan: | 54' 2" | 16.5 m | |
| Wingarea: | 490.0 sq ft | 45.5 sq m | |
| Empty Weight: | 10,555 lb | 4,786 kg | |
| Gross Weight: | 16,412 lb | 7,443 kg | |
| Max Weight: | 17,364 lb | 7,874 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 1 | ||
| Powerplant: | Wright R-2600-8 | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 1700 | ||
Performance
| Range: | 1,105 miles | 1,779 km | |
| Cruise Speed: | 153 mph | 246 km/h | 132 kt |
| Max Speed: | 257 mph | 413 km/h | 223 kt |
| Climb: | 1,430 ft/min | 435 m/min | |
| Ceiling: | 21,400 ft | 6,522 m | |
Known serial numbers
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| National Museum of Naval Aviation | NAS Pensacola | Florida |
TBF-1 on display
National Museum of Naval Aviation |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Walt Bumgarner , WA | Picture on your site is a TBM-3E, Not a TBF. I owned 5 at one time...4500 hours in type. 01/20/2008 @ 12:26 [ref: 19374] |
| 1LT Jose J. Dominguez Sacramento, CA | Good day, my wife’s grandfather (Lieutenant Commander Harry J. Stoner) was a Torpedo Bomber Pilot assigned to Torpedo Squadron 305 in the Pacific during WWII. His award certificates state that he served in the area of Rabul during 1944. I was wondering if anyone has any information on a service member that served with the 305 or has any information pertaining to the 305. My wife would like to make contact with anyone who might have known her Grandfather. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
1LT Jose J. Dominguez 235th EN Co (SAPPER) jose.j.dominguez@us.army.mil 10/19/2007 @ 10:19 [ref: 18240] |
| Paul Evans Kingwood, TX | My grandfather, Paul E. Evans was a ball gunner in the VT 305. I would love to see if any of the surviviors of the squadron are still alive and talk to them about my grandfather. Please email. 04/08/2007 @ 18:44 [ref: 16141] |
| D.J.Myers Falling Waters, WV | I recommend M.I.A. over RABUL South Pacific by John B. Kepchia. If you can find it in paperback. It is the story about the pilot & crew of TBF #22 from USN Torpedo Sqn 305 (VT-305)"The Red Ass Sqn".. They were shot down over the Vunakanau Airstrip on Rabaul, New Bitain in the Solomon Islands on their 34th mission on May 21, 1944.
The pilot, 21 yr old Ensign Donald D. Atkiss from Philadelphia, PA, turret gunner, 20 yr old Richard Lanigan from St. Louis, MO; aom2/c & the author, radioman John B. Kepchia from Greensburg, PA, arm2/c. The three of them were interred in a Japanese Prision Camp until Sept 7, 1945. Atkiss & Lanigan perished in Prision. A well told experience with many photos & maps of the TBF, pilots, & crews. God Bless them All. 03/31/2007 @ 18:47 [ref: 16054] |
| D.J.Myers Falling Waters, WV | I recommend M.I.A. over RABUL South Pacific by John B. Kepchia. If you can find it in paperback. It is the story about the pilot & crew of TBF #22 from USN Torpedo Sqn 305 (VT-305)"The Red Ass Sqn".. They were shot down over the Vunakanau Airstrip on Rabaul, New Bitain in the Solomon Islands on their 34th mission on May 21, 1944.
The pilot, 21 yr old Ensign Donald D. Atkiss from Philadelphia, PA, turret gunner, 20 yr old Richard Lanigan from St. Louis, MO; aom2/c & the author, radioman John B. Kepchia from Greensburg, PA, arm2/c. The three of them were interred in a Japanese Prision Camp until Sept 7, 1945. Atkiss & Lanigan perished in Prision. A well told experience with many photos & maps of the TBF, pilots, & crews. God Bless them All. 03/31/2007 @ 18:47 [ref: 16053] |
| Ray Key Charleston, SC | In the section "Recent photos uploaded by our visitors" on the top row, third picture from left, is that a TBF with a machine gun turret on the bottom of the plane? My brother was killed May 22, 1943 in a TBF Aircraft Bureau #05991 when it crashed trying to land on the USS Chenango near the Solomon Islands. I remember my parents getting a letter from the pilot, and I think it said my brother was in the machine gun turret underneath the plane, and when the plane went over the side of the ship, it crushed the turret and he died instantly and his body was not recovered. We have never been able to verify that the TBF had a turret on the bottom, all the pictures we found, the machine gun turret was on top. Can someone verify that some TBF's had the machine gun turret on the bottom? 03/23/2007 @ 08:27 [ref: 16005] |
| Howard Fuller Riverside, CA | I was a member of VMSB-131, we went to Hawaii in Sept., of 42, on arriving the squadron was issued SBD's, we kept them about 10 days and they were taken back and we were issued the TBF's. Went to Guadalcanal in November 42, participated in the sinking of a Japanese Battle ship. I was not a member of a combat crew. Served in the Squadron's Ornance Section. Squadron returned stateside in May or June of 43, Divided into 3, I went to VMTB-242 at El Centro, back overseas in January of 44, 131 was redesignated to VMTB-131
Theother 3rd., went to Santa Barbara as a Torpedo Training Squadron for a short spell and then changed to VMTB-134.I have been looking for a M/Sgt. James H. Mackay, he served in 131, did not stay with anyone of the three new squadron's. Assume he was promoted to Warrant Grade. He was a real Marine.. I came back stateside in 45, a M/Sgt. ended up in a MNFOTD as Leading Chief, Kingsville, Texas and then Vero Beach, Florida. Took my discharge in March 1946, stayed in the Class 3B. Placed on the retured list Oct. 1957 Semper Fidelis 11/18/2006 @ 23:45 [ref: 14777] |
| Dick Cosbie Palm Desert, CA | My cousin was a TBF pilot during WWII. He was shot down along with his crew over Chi Chi Jima, Japan. All were KIA. He was a member of VT-82 from the USS Bennington.
I research his service and was able to find out a lot of information through the folks at the USS Bennington website www.uss-bennington.org I made up a website in his honor. Take a look if interested. www.cosbie.us 03/08/2006 @ 16:50 [ref: 12734] |
| Thomas Tanner III Daytona Beach, FL | Hello my grandfather Rayford Lancaster was a ball gunner on the TBF. He was with the Air Group 11 on the USS Lexington. He was on the Lexington when it sunk and was transfered to the USS Hornet. Luckly he was transfered again just two weeks before the Horrnet sunk. This is a strange request but I was wondering if anyone had happened to see my grandfather in a WWII documentary. He died recently but told us he had been interviewed for a WWII documentary that aired on TV but he forgot the name of the show and what station it was shown on. I was wondering if anyone happened to have a copy of the show or at least the name of the show. I'm trying to find it for the rest of the family and any help would be greatly appreciated. The documentary would have been made in the past 2 to 4 years. I don't have anymore clues other than he was in the movie. Please email if you have any info. Thank you. 09/19/2005 @ 02:41 [ref: 11275] |
| nuda america, AK | i want 2 root this plane 07/21/2005 @ 02:48 [ref: 10798] |
Recent photos uploaded by our visitors
