Grumman TBF and General Motors TBM Avenger

[SinUnNombre]

Hey guys. In correlation to my recent Turboprop P-47 thread, its time to breathe new life into the CAS Avenger project. With my search for a turboprop for the P-47 coming up, well, disapointing, I'm thinking of just sticking with an air-cooled radial, but using an R-3350. Now, he only 3350 I've currently got is part of my Avenger kitbash, but I was wanting some input on an idea I've been rolling around in my head for a few minutes. What if I took the 3350 for the P-47, then used either a Double Mamba or T-31 turboprop on the Avenger? Since its destined for an older theater and I'm not as concerned with keeping it looking pretty, I think that it would work, and solve my issues. What do you guys think?

Jon

[jcf]

R-2600-20
TBF-3, TBM-3
Diameter: 54.09"
Length: 66.08"
Weight: 2,045 lbs

R-3350-26WA
AD-2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Diameter: 55.62"
Length: 80.81"
Weight: 2,848 lbs

R-3350-26WB
AD-7
Diameter: 55.62"
Length: 81.23"
Weight: 2,953 lbs

Another turret option is that of the Douglas A/B-26, I test fit one from the Monogram 1/48th into a Accurate Miniatures TBF... loads of room.
Mount the gunners seat, facing aft and the gun control parts between the turret and the pilots seat in the Avenger.

Cheers, Jon

[royabulgaf]

Since you want to use 20mm cannon, perhaps bag the Avenger and go with a COIN Helldiver?  Their wings were set up to handle 20mms, and the A-25 variant was modified for land-based use with a more suitable landing gear.  

Kim M

[Jeffry Fontaine]

After seeing the images and general arrangement drawing of the Columbia XLJ-1 that Jon provided in two topics



Links to both topics:

Turbo-Loening http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,15599.0/highlight,columbia.html
F6F Hellcat WHIF Ideas http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,17681.15.html 

I could not help but notice how much that aircraft looked like a kit bash between the Grumman Avenger and Duck.  So I was wondering what that would look like?  No chance of a Duck being merged with an Avenger in the same scale so maybe a scale-o-rama would be necessary.  Using a 1/72nd scale Avenger and a 1/48th scale Duck to create an amphibian Avenger.  Obviously the bomb bay would be lost in the conversion but you would end up with a rather largish amphibian cargo and passenger aircraft that could have filled a niche in general aviation around the world.  Some possible civilian uses could be as a water bomber or a bush plane operating a passenger and cargo service to the remote reaches of the Pacific North West, Aleutian Islands, and the Artic where landing on a lake or the ocean would be the only option. 

[sotoolslinger]

Just found this topic so I couln't resist
http://s253.photobucket.com/albums/hh50/sotoolslinger/skyrocket/

[GTX]

I could not help but notice how much that aircraft looked like a kit bash between the Grumman Avenger and Duck.  So I was wondering what that would look like?  No chance of a Duck being merged with an Avenger in the same scale so maybe a scale-o-rama would be necessary.

Maybe a little like this perhaps:



Regards,

Greg

[jcf]

Some real world Avenger mods.

The Yehudi lights reduced the detection range from 12 miles to 2 miles and would probably have been very effective in ASW warfare.

The single-seat conversion was made to evaluate the possible performance gains of the single-seat modification.

The two-gun turret installation was found to have a lower effective rate of fire than the standard single-gun installation as firing had to be interrupted twice as often to avoid hitting the tail surfaces.

Jon

[GTX]

My own interpretation of a developed single seat Avenger:



Regards,

Greg

[sotoolslinger]

That is very cool looking

[jcf]

Another single-seater, this time a modified TBM-3 (BuNo. 69465) with a new canopy design.

Jon

[kitnut617]

Some real world Avenger mods.

The single-seat conversion was made to evaluate the possible performance gains of the single-seat modification.

Jon

On a trip to Fort St.John (north east corner of British Columbia) some years ago, I past an airfield somewhere in the vicinity of Dawson Creek and Grande Prairie.  I saw an Avenger which had been modified like that Jon, it was being used as a bush plane or fire bomber, couldn't tell very well from the highway.

[Captain Canada]

The old gun bucket

[ysi_maniac]

Turbo Avenger French (Alizé) and British (Gannet) style

[NARSES2]

Now I like those, especially the two on the left hand side 

[Old Wombat]

For my tastes it runs;
1. Gannet-engined Avenger;
2. Alizé-engined Avenger, right on its tail;
3. Gannet-ised Avenger, right on its tail; &
4. Alizé-ised Avenger falling behind quite rapidly.


It'd fair hum along with the twin Mambas!