Post by twocee on Mar 9, 2019 15:51:38 GMT
This concerns the article, Avengers In Israel, and specifically the table on page 52. The first column in the table is headed "Model" and gives the US Navy designations of four aircraft.
All four were built for the Navy as TBM-3Es by General Motors and so if the column was intended to reflect this, all four should have the same designation. However, during their service with the USN the first, second and fourth listed were converted to TBM-3U configuration and it was in this form that they were eventually stricken. The third aircraft, still a TBM-3E, was supplied to the RCN in November 1952, and converted for anti-submarine duties as an Avenger AS Mk3. If the column was to reflect their designations when they left military service it should show TBM-3U, TBM-3U, Avenger AS Mk3 and TBM-3U.
The above is by no means intended as a criticism of the author but rather to show the difficulties of giving designations to aircraft that are no longer in military service.
George Kernahan
