American Torpedo Bomber Grumman TBF AVENGER COBI 5752 - World War II 1:48

You know that:

• The competition for a new aircraft to replace the outdated TBD Devastator was launched by the Bureau of Aeronautics in 1939.
• The design work was undertaken by William T. Schwendler, who designed an aircraft so bulky that U.S. Navy officials believed it would never fly. How wrong they were, we now know.
• During flight tests in 1941, the first prototype was destroyed in a crash, but in less than three weeks, the second prototype demonstrated such excellent flight characteristics that Grumman immediately received an order for an unlimited number of production units.
• The Avenger aircraft proved highly durable and effective during combat missions. Grumman could not produce enough aircraft, so production was expanded to General Motors' Trenton plants.
• Some machines were even equipped with modern anti-ship radar and electronic targeting. 
• Most of the Avenger's combat missions were in the Pacific, but nearly 1,000 were also delivered to the British RAF.
• The aircraft were also very successful in locating and destroying German U-boats. As of May 22, 1943, a total of 49 had been sunk.
• Future US President George H. W. Bush also served in the Grumman TBM-1C Avenger during World War II.
• 9,836 were produced in several versions.
• The last units were retired from the US Navy's arsenal in the late 1960s.

Technical parameters:

• span 16.51 m, length 12.19 m, height 5.3 m
• empty weight 4 853 kg
• maximum take-off weight 8 278 kg
• power unit Wright R-2600-8 Cyclone radial engine with an output of 1268 kW
• cruising speed 234 km/h
• maximum speed 430 km/h
• climb rate 7,3 m/s
• tank capacity 1268 l + possibly an additional 227 l in the bomb bay
• maximum flight level 7 132 m
• maximum range 4 072 km
• landing on the ship's deck by means of braking ropes
• armament 3x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine gun + 7.62 mm Browning lower machine gun + Mark 13 torpedo
• crew 3

From the memoirs of George H. W. Bush:

"The Avenger was a robust and reliable aircraft that helped me survive. During the Chichi Jima mission, the Japanese opened heavy fire on us. I had to make many evasive maneuvers and descend to avoid the fire. It was, what can I say? It was crazy, but eventually we managed to drop the bombs and turn the plane around to return. The Avenger will always be a symbol of resistance to tyranny for me."