Adler's Warbirds

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat
SN: 3872

Current Location: US Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida, USA

This aircraft was recovered from Lake Michigan. It is the only surviving Wildcat to have served prior to the start of WW2.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman F4F-3A Wildcat
SN: 3969

Current Location: US Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida, USA

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman FM-2 Wildcat
SN: 16089

Current Location: US Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida, USA

Delivered to the US Navy on 14 December 1943. Arriving at Espiritu Santo in February 1944. It was transferred to San Diego in November of 1944 and eventually assigned to the Carrier Qualification Unit at Glenview, Illinois. The aircraft crashed on 28 December 1944 when Ensign Leonard L. Alick prematurely cut his engine during an attempted landing on the training carrier Sable (IX-81) and was forced to make a left bank to avoid hitting the ship. The plane spun into the water with the left wing down. Ensign Alick survived. The aircraft was recovered from Lake Michigan in 1993.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman FM-2 Wildcat
SN: 86757

Current Location: US Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida, USA

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat
SN: 25910

Current Location: US Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida, USA

Delivered to the US Navy in July 1943, it was assigned to VF-38. The aircraft flew its first combat mission on a strike to Marcus Island on 31 August 1943. It was eventually assigned to Carrier Qualification Unit in Glenview, Illinois, and crashed into Lake Michigan.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat
SN: 94203

Current Location: US Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida, USA

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman AF-2S Guardian
SN: 123100

Current Location: US Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida, USA

This aircraft served in the Air Development Squadron VX-1 at NAS Key West, Florida until 1952, and then in the Naval Reserves until 1956.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman J2F-6 Duck
SN: UNK

Current Location: US Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida, USA

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman F7F-3 Tigercat
SN: 80373

Current Location: US Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida, USA

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman TBM-3 Avenger
SN: 53593

Current Location: US Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida, USA

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman TBM-3 Avenger
SN: 53353

Current Location: Commemorative Air Force Missouri Wing, Portage Des Sioux, Missouri

Delivered in 19 May 1945 at the Eastern Aircraft/General Motors plant in Trenton, New Jersey. She initially served out of NAS San Diego. During the Korean War it was assigned to VS-27 and used as a trainer off of the Carrier USS Kula Gulf.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman TBM-3 Avenger
SN: 85869

Current Location: Etampes, France

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman TBM-3 Avenger
SN: 53319

Current Location: Lausanne Airport, Switzerland

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

More to come later...

 

[at6]

I'm really enjoying your thread. Thank you posting these with so much information about each one.

 

[Wayne Little]

Totally agree, look forward to more

 

[Crimea_River]

Lotta work going into this thread and it shows. Great stuff.

 

[Wurger]

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman TBM-3 Avenger
SN: 69374

Current Location: National World War II Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

This aircraft was stationed in San Diego during the war, and was used as a firebomber post war.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Grumman TBM-1 Avenger
SN: 24803

Current Location: USS Intrepid - Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, New York City, New York, USA