1/72 Academy TBF-1 Avenger Heavy Hitters Group Build

[vikingBerserker]

Looking pretty dam good!

 

[Maglar]

Thanks all! Vic, dont know about the new year.. that would be cool, but I dont want to rush it either. Seems to be going together quickly though, oh the perks of 1/72

 

[ozhawk40]

Great choice and progress on the Avenger Corey. I think VT-84 is the answer to the squadron, aboard USS Bunker Hill. Here's some art work of 305 from the Signal "Avenger in Action".

Cheers

 

[Maglar]

Thanks for the pic Oz, she doesn't look too muffed in that picture. Im feeling a light weathering job.

 

[ozhawk40]

It's hard to say Corey, based on a painting. Here is a pic of 301 for you from the Avenger Monograpfic part 2

There's a large crowd forming around this bird, so there must be a good story somewhere!

Cheers

Peter

 

[Airframes]

The bomb bay is full of beer.......

 

[Matt308]

 

[ozhawk40]

Good one Terry, but being navy, it would need to be rum!

Perhaps it was taken on the 7 April 1945.

The USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) was on station off Okinawa on April 7, when the Yamato was sighted south of Kyushu. Among the aircraft launched to attack the giant were fourteen TBM Avengers of the Bunker Hill's Torpedo Squadron (VT) 84. At 0948 the crews manned their planes and took off, led by Lt. Cdr. "Skipper" Swanson and joined by other bombing squadrons. A solid overcast prevented the dive bombers from leading a coordinated attack, so at about 1215, Swanson divided VT-84 into two divisions and headed for the target.

Every gun on the Yamato, including the nine 18-inchers, seemed to be firing at the TBMs. Pilot "Bull" Turnbull remembered that "It was a beautiful ship but a monster! It was like a huge animal at bay — vigorous and vengeful and spitting fire from every opening". Another VT-84 pilot, Dewey Ray said of the first salvo from the 18-inch guns, "My God, I didn't believe it. The whole forward third of the ship lit up. My first reaction was why would they fire anything that big at me? Then, I stopped wondering and jinxed like hell!"

When Swanson's eight TBMs landed back on the Bunker Hill, they reported seven torpedo hits on the battleship. When "Buck" Berry's six planes landed, they reported another two hits. "Bunker Hill 9; Yamato 0!" was the proud cry. Later reports showed that the Yamato had been hit by at least seven bombs and 11 or 12 torpedoes before the pride of the Japanese fleet exploded, broke in two and sank at 1435.​

Worth noting that the aircraft in question "301" is in fact a TBM-3, not a TBF-1 Corey - Academy - bunch of Wally's! rolleyes:

 

[Heinz]

Great info Peter!

 

[Maglar]

Thanks Pete! Put Academy at blame, I was just reading the box. The bird looks pretty clean even after a bombing run. It looks like it took a few hits under the ball turret though.

 

[ozhawk40]

Looks like it took a few hits everywhere!

 

[Maglar]

Wings attached.. took about 2 hours of sanding to get off all the CA glue it took to fill in the unforgiving fit of the wings. About .5 cm gap on the bottom of each wing..

 

[Heinz]

Great stuff man!

 

[109ROAMING]

Damn thats looking good mate!

 

[Maglar]

Thank you my night owls, its 4:17am over here, but im sure its like what.. afternoon over there?

Cant wait to do the same thing again on the back side, it'll pay off when the paint finds its way onto her

 

[Heinz]

Its 8:35pm as I post this Mags

 

[Maglar]

So a 16 hour difference, crazy stuff!

 

[rochie]

looks like its going together nicely Maglar

 

[Wayne Little]

Doing great mate....all the hard work will pay off!

 

[kgambit]

Looking good Mags.