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Hey all So I'm just about finished my Accurate Miniatures Avenger (In the Academy box) and I've decided that seeing as how the Avenger was designed as a torpedo bomber, it just makes sense to put a big ol' Mk.13 Torpedo in the weapons bay as opposed to standard GP bombs. As the Academy boxing only comes with bombs, I've sourced a very nice resin torpedo from True Details, however, I'll be damned if I know how to mount the darn thing in the weapons bay. I've tried every combination of "torpedo, avenger, mount, etc" in Google that I can think of, but to no avail. That is why now, I rest my fate in the paint and cyanoacrylate covered hands of my fellow (brit)modellers... Regards, KHood

My latest model, a nice and easy build, hope you like it! More about the construction and painting you can find here, using a translator: http://www.modellingnews.gr/el/%CE%BC%CE%BF%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%82-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%BA%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%AD%CF%82/tbf-1c-avenger-uss-natoma-bay-1944-italeri-148

Grumman TBF Avenger, pics thanks to Allan.

Accurate Miniatures’ Avengers, along with their SBD Dauntless and F3F series, are among the best 1/48 scale aircraft kits ever produced. Everything – from surface and interior detail to fit of the parts – is about as good as it gets in injected molded plastic. The fact that almost no aftermarket parts were made for these kits is a testament to how good they were out of the box. The only drawback to the Avenger kits were the instructions – the drawings were crudely done and hard to follow, but this was rectified in the SBD and F3F kits. Aside from some True Details photo-etched seatbelts and an antenna wire, this kit was an out-of-the-box build, including decals. I used no filler – just careful assembly and seam sanding resulted in a near-perfect fit of the main airframe parts. I did find that the lower dorsal gunner’s clear part didn’t fit very well, but that’s probably as much my fault as the kit’s. The rudder is a seperate piece, so I installed it offset to the left for a more candid appearance. I armed my TBF with a standard anti-submarine load of two 500-lb. general purpose bombs and two aerial depth charges. I also cut out and dropped the flaps. For the Atlantic anti-submarine paint scheme, I used Model Master Dark Gull Grey and Floquil Reefer White enamels. (I really hate that Floquil is now out of business – Reefer White was the BEST!) I used kit decals to depict a TBF-1C from VC-55, deployed aboard USS Block Island in the North Atlantic during the summer of 1944.

hi all, I’m after some help on an old chestnut that I know has caused some heated discussions both on this site and a few others. I see others have asked about bits and pieces of information on this subject before but this time I’m hoping once and for all (yeah right!) with this thread we can have some definitive answers.....maybe! FAA Avenger MkI/II (or Tarpon Mk I/II) versus TBF/TBM-1C Ok for starters, TBF-1C vs TBM-1C, so far form all he research I can find there was/is very little difference between the two. The TBF was manufactured by Grumman and the TBM was made under license by Eastern Aircraft (division of GM), plus for some bizarre reason each company decided to painted the interiors different, so this aside I can find no other differences between the two aircraft. I have read though that there was some issues with parts between the two different manufactured aircraft as they often weren’t interchangeable??? So for a coming build an Accurate Miniatures Grumman 1/48th TBF-1C is going to be the starting point. Tarpon (Avenger) Mk I/II vs TBF/TBM-1C First up the base model is going to be a -1C, so this will not have the single cowling mounted 30cal of the -1, but rather the wing mounted 50cal’s. This probably is the major noticeable difference other than the radio mast location changed between -1 and -1C. The Tarpon had a different Radio Observers windows, they were the round dome windows on each side rather than the flat ovals fitted to the TBF/TBM’s. Plus they had the second cockpit position for the Navigator, which had aircraft controls fitted (though it is mentioned that the control column was stored most of the time), in place of the radio gear normally found on the TBF/TBM’s. Other than those two details I cannot find any other major differences. Oh and for some reason they decided to change the name from Tarpon back to Avenger. Tarpon Mk I vs Tarpon Mk II Next the difference between are Tarpon Mk I and an Tarpon Mk II with respect to SEA operations and not Atlantic operations? Again only looking at the -1C aircraft (earlier TBF-1’s were also called Tarpon I’s), other than it seems the Grumman made aircraft are referred to as Tarpon Mk I’s and the eastern made as Tarpon Mk II’s. There seems to be very little differences between the two. I have an aircraft I want to build but again have run into this issue of whether it is a Mk I or Mk II! I have a set of Xtradecal markings for an Avenger II JZ257 of 849 NAS, HMS Victorious, British Pacific Fleet, Jan45. But a quick bit of research on the FAA archive web site shows this aircraft was actually an Mk I!! If anyone has a definitive guide to the aircraft serial numbers that would be a great help. I guess the main thing is to get the additional cockpit sorted out and correct as I can get it. I either have the bit required or can easily make them, I just need either some good photos (only have a couple) or some good draws showing some detail. Else I may just have to create something that looks the part....maybe! Have a few reference books, but there’s not a lot of info on the FAA Avenger/Tarpon. All help with any of these question/quires would be greatly appreciated and hopefully this won’t start a big argument!