Grumman TBF-1C Avenger


Plane: Grumman TBF-1C Avenger

Weight (Empty/Loaded/Max): / 15,536lb /

Wing Area: 490sq ft

Wing Loading: / 31.7lb/sq ft /

Length: 40' 0"

Span: 54' 2"

Wing Aspect Ratio: 6.0

Engine: 1,700hp Wright R-2600-8 Radial

Flaps: 3 settings

Visibility:

Control Feel:

Stall Speed 1k (No Flaps/Full Flaps) 80mph/65mph

Guns:

  type/ammo ROF Duration WB Punch Muzzle Velocity Ammo/Gun
Primary: 2x.50cal Browning MG 12/s 50s 3x.50cal/ping 2,810ft/s 600
Otto: Top: 1x.50cal Browning MG
Bottom: 1x.30cal MG
12/s
15/s
?
?
1.5x.50cal/ping
1.9x.50cal/ping
2,810ft/s
2,600ft/s
?
?

Ordnance:
0: 1xTorpedo
1: 4x500lb bombs
2: 2x1,000lb bombs
3: 4x500lb bombs+8xRockets

Fuel Time/Percent: 74 seconds/percent

Power/weight (Empty/Loaded/Max): / 9.1 lb/hp /

Corner Velocity: 245mph

Durability:

WEP time: 5 minutes


Accleleration:

  1,000ft 5,000ft 10,000ft 15,000ft
Stall-200mph 41.4s 63.5s 98.5s -
150mph-200mph 25.8s 34.3s 58.0s -
200mph-250mph 63.4s - - -
250mph-300mph - - - -

Climb:
1k-5k: 117s
5k-10k: 221s
10k-15k: 290s

Zoom Climb:
1k 300mph: +2,400ft

Dive:

  Max Speed After 30s After 60s
15,000ft to 10,000ft 345mph 270mph 245mph
15,000ft to 5,000ft - - -
10,000ft to 5,000ft 365mph 280mph 250mph
10,000ft to 1,000ft - - -
5,000ft to 1,000ft 360mph 290mph 265mph

Max Speed

  1,000ft 5,000ft 10,000ft 15,000ft
Climb before levelling 250mph 245mph 210mph 185mph
Diving before levelling 255mph 245mph 235mph 210mph

Turn Performance

300mph 1,000ft 5,000ft 10,000ft 15,000ft
One 360 - - - -
Two 360s - - - -
250mph
One 360 14.5s 16.1s 18.1s 20.4s
Two 360s 36.7s 42.4s 51.1s 63.9s
Sustained
No Flaps 23.9s 29.6s 37.0s 49.2s
Full Flaps 22.4s 28.1s 43.5s 87.1s
Best Flap full full none none
Speed/best 90mph 90mph 95mph 90mph

Corner Speed and Radii (1,000ft)

Speed: 245mph
Radius: 404ft
Sustained Turn Speed: 105mph
Sustained Turn Radius: 591ft
Full Flaps Speed: 90mph
Full Flaps Radius: 475ft

Corner Times 1,000ft 5,000ft 10,000ft 15,000ft
180 degrees 6.0s 6.9s 7.4s 7.9s
360 degrees 14.1s 16.6s 18.3s 20.9s

Roll Rate:
150mph: 7.3s
200mph: 6.8s
250mph: 9.1s
300mph: 14.2s
350mph: 20.4s
400mph:

Minimum Full-Flaps Full-Power Split-S altitude:
150mph: 900ft
200mph: 1,100ft
250mph: 1,500ft
300mph:


Hoof's Tips and Opinions:

The TBF was the US navy's primary torpedo bomber during most of the war and replaced the TBD Devastator in that role. It earned a place in history for itself during the Battle of Midway when almost literally the first batch of TBFs to see combat were completely demolished before reaching their targets, a pair of Japanese carriers. What they did do in their sacrifice was pull the Zero CAP down from altitude allowing an SBD strike force that through a brilliant piece of luck happened to arrive just after the Zeros finished off the Devastators, and they proceeded to dive-bomb the carriers with only AAA to oppose them. The TBF went on to have far greater success than the Battle of Midway later on, earning it's position in history as a great torpedo bomber without having to get shot down :)

Warbirds now has a complete set of fighters and bombers for a carrier duel between the Japanese and US. No more substitutions of Kates are necessary, something US commanders will really appreciate.

As with all US naval planes of pre-Guadacanal times, the US TBF is inferior to its counterpart, the B5N2 Kate in performance (except for speed on the deck). It climbs poorer, turns much worse, accelerates poorer, and carries poorer torpedos (something that should not be an issue in Warbirds as all torpedos perform the same). But it has the usual assets of the US Navy for the time: Durability, excellent defensive firepower compared to the opposition, and fragile opponents. See the SBD writeup on how to defend against Zeros and Ki43s in the TBF.

One major difference between the SBD and the TBF that affects combat tactics is diving performance and altitude performance. Designed to be a low-altitude torpedo bomber, the TBF hates altitude. It starts to really hurt in the performance arena as the altitude increases and this is really noticable even between 5,000ft and 1,000ft in the sustained turning arena. Instantaneous turn is good across the board, but the sustained turn rate indicates that the engine power really takes a nose-dive with higher altitudes. This makes sense, as it is a torpedo bomber, which is designed to cruise 100ft of the deck, drop to 50ft to deploy the torpedo then to get out. Altitude work is best left to other planes.

As far as bomb-load, this plane is a big hauler. It can carry a torpedo, or two 1,000lb bombs, or four 500lb bombs, and can even carry eight rockets. Later in the war, the TBF was deployed as a bomber for ground targets.

The TBF should be a good addition to the naval forces of Warbirds. It should see a fair bit of use in carrier vs carrier battles in scenarios, although like the other three naval bombers, it probably will not be seen in general arena combat use.

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