INDEX OF PRESERVED AIRCRAFT TYPES USED BY THE FAA

Grumman TBM-3 Avenger/Tarpon

Fleet Air Arm Museum: Avenger XB446

Type

Total Number 2000

FAA notes 1999-2000

Threat Status 1999-2000

Changes
1999-2000

Grumman Avenger/Tarpon

74 (+?)
including 42 airworthy a/c
This list includes all known European preserved examples

Forty-seven Avengers appeared on the US Civil Aircraft Registry as of 30 June 1990.

There are 3 known aircraft which served with the FAA

1) BuAer: 91264 (KE465)
2) BuAer24085
(FN 8590
3) BuAer: -(XB446)

Also
BuAer: 53785 repainted in FAA markings.
F-AZJA reported to be in FAA markings 2001

3 Wrecks of FAA aircraft also exist incl:
Z569 of 787 sqdn
JZ327 of 798 sqdn

7 destroyed 1980-2000, including one destroyed 1999. But 1 part destroyed aircraft was re-built and is again airworthy

Minus -1

10 Airworthy TBM Air tankers in New Brunswick (Canada) were due to finally retire as of 2000.

Last Modified: 16 December 2000

Grumman Avenger/Tarpon
Status	Civil Registration Nunber	Serial Number s/n	Type	Markings	Owner/Operator	Condition/Notes
		No information	TBM-3	"39"	Palm Springs Air Museum (USA)	Airworthy
	-	Not known	TBM-3		Lone Star Aviation Museum (USA)	Airworthy
	N4172A	-	TBM-3E	-	Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft Kissimmee FL (USA)	Airworthy
	C-GLEJ	BuAer: 53200	TBM-3	Marked with tanker number eg like "Tanker 02" see photo	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada)	Airworthy
	G-BTDP ex N3966A	BuAer:53319	TBM-3R	"USN 53319/RB319"	The Squadron (Anthony Haig-Thomas), North Weald (UK)	Airworthy
	N5264V	BuAer:53353	TBM-3	"USN WS53"	Wiley C. Sanders, Troy AL(USA)	Airworthy
	N6580D	BuAer: 53489	TBM-3S AS Mk.3	painted in the colours of the US Jeep Carrier (CVE) composite Squadrons of the Atlantic Fleet that performed such a magnificent job in the Battle of the Atlantic from 1942 to 1945. See photo	MOORE Aviation Restoration, Waterloo Airport (Hangar 30), in Breslau (Canada)). Ex Corwin H. Meyer Aviation Association (part-destroyed by fire, 1990 and rebuilt by C. Meyer 1995)	Airworthy before part-destroyed 1990. Rebuilt 1995 and again airworthy
	N53503	BuAer: 53503	TBM-3S AS Mk.3	"USN 309"	Confederate Air Force - Rocky Mountain Wing, Grand Junction CO (USA)	Airworthy
	N188TD	BuAer: 53522	TBM-3E	"USN 88"	Flying Dutchman Marine Corps, Wilmington DE (USA)	Airworthy
	N7030C	BuAer: 53454	TBM-3E	"USN 53454/10"	Gary Applebaum, Troy WI(USA)	Airworthy
	C-GFPS	BuAer: 53460	TBM-3E	Marked with tanker number eg like "tanker 22" see photo	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada)	Airworthy
	C-FIMR	BuAer: 536110	TBM-3	"Raccoon lead/Tanker 23" See photo	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada)	Airworthy
	CF-KCL	BuAer: 53638	TBM-3S AS Mk.3	-	International Vintage Aircraft, Hamilton ONT (Canada)	Airworthy
	N683G	BuAer: 53768	TBM-3U	"USAAC 53768/63"	USA	Airworthy
	N7075C	BuAer: 53785	TBM-3U	"FAA Avenger III markings"	Planes of Fame Air Museum, Minnesota (USA)	Airworthy Built 1945, served postwar on USS Coral Sea. In 1983, N7075C had been rebuilt to military form and painted as a Fleet Air Arm Avenger III
	C-GFPT	BuAer: 53787	TBM-3E	-	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada)	Airworthy
	N93818	BuAer: 53818	TBM-3S AS Mk.3	"USN 17"	Amjet Aircraft Corporation, Minneapolis-St Paul MN (USA)	Airworthy
	N3967A	BuAer: 53835	TBM-3U	"USN 53835/GS-41"	Skarda Flying Service, Hazen AR (USA)	Airworthy
	C-GFPM	BuAer: 53857	TBM-3E	-	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada)	Airworthy
	N7029C	BuAer: 53914	Eastern (GM) TBM-3E (Avenger)	-	Quonset Air Museum, North Kingstown RI (USA) (Ex Hick & Lawrence Aerial Applicators, Ontario, Canada)	Restoration to Airworthy condition Used by Hick & Lawrence Aerial Applicators, Ontario, Canada as a Spruce Bud Worm Sprayer.
	C-GLEJ	BuAer: 69323	TBM-3	-	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada)	Airworthy
	N325GT	BuAer: 69325	TBM-3U	"USN T-88". See photo	Olympic Flight Museum, Olympia WA (USA)	Airworthy
	N700RW	BuAer: 69329	TBM-3U	"USN 69329/RW329"	Lone Star Flight Museum, TX (USA)	Airworthy
	C-GOEG	BuAer: 69361	TBM-3E	"RCN 69361/AB-W"	Reynolds Aviation Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta (Canada) Reynolds-Alberta aviation collection	Airworthy
	N452HA	BuAer: 85650	TBM-3W	"USN HA"	Avery's Antique Airplanes Inc, Morganton NC (USA)	Airworthy
	N7001C	BuAer: 85794	TBM-3E	"USN 85794/X2/Barbara"	for sale, Indianapolis IN (USA)	Airworthy
	C-CLEP	BuAer: 85836	TBM-3E	Tanker 10	Forest Protection Ltd (crashed New Brunswick 10.6.1984)(Canada) Ex Johnsone Flying Service Inc. (Missoula, MIS, USA) in 1970s	Airworthy till crashed and destroyed 10.6.1984 Brockway strip, NB (Canada)
	F-AZJA	BuAer: 85869	TBM-3E	"USN SK401". Reported to be in FAA markings 2001	Didier Chable, Melun-Villaroche (France)	Airworthy
	N9584Z	BuAer: 85882	TBM-3E	"USN 7"	Dave Tinker, Monroe Mi (USA)	Airworthy
	N9586Z	BuAer: 85886	TBM-3E	"USN 85886/SL401"	P O B Inc/Avirex, Tenafly NJ (USA)	Airworthy
	N28SF	BuAer: 85983	TBM-3S AS Mk. 3	"USN 85983/X2"	C & C Air Corp, Rialto CA(USA)	Airworthy
	C-GFPL	BuAer: 86020	TBM-3E	-	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada)	Airworthy
	N6831C	BuAer: 86123	TBM-3R	"USN 86123/RB123"	Mid America Air Museum, Liberal KS (USA)	Airworthy
	CF-MUD	BuAer: 86180	TBM-3	"Tanker 12/Raccoon Lead"	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada)	Airworthy
	N86280	BuAer: 86280	TBM-3E	"Marines 86280/54"	Cavanaugh Flight Museum, TX (USA)	Airworthy
	VH-TBM	BuAer: 91110	TBM-3E	In 2000 marked as "309/Georgia Peach" in new colours which represent a TBM on Torpedo 83 (VT-83) aboard the U.S.S. Essex in 1945. The Avenger is named after Randal's good lady wife who was originally from Atlanta, Georgia. In 1999 and earlier marked as "RNZAF NZ2518" see photos	Malitone Pty Ltd, Clayfield QLD (Australia) operated by Randal McFarlane at Toowoomba in Australia (acquired April 1999). (Sold in 1999: ex Old Flying Machine Company, UK, ex Alpine Fighter Collection, NZ, Flying Legends Collection (Australia)	Airworthy
	C-FBQT	BuAer: 91171	TBM-3E	-	AG Air Ltd, Baytree, Alberta (Canada)	Airworthy
	N7835C	BuAer: 91264 KE465	TBM-3E (TB.III)	"USN 7154/2X/Ginny"	The Air Museum "Planes of Fame" Chino (USA)	Airworthy Former FAA aircraft delivered in batch of 50 under Contr. No NOa(S)228 req no. 947. To RN charge Roosevelt Field 7.1945, then shipped to UK.
	C-FAXS	BuAer: 91289	TBM-3	"tanker B17"	Forest Protection Ltd (crashed, St Stephen New Brunswick 1.5.1999)(Canada)	Airworthy until destroyed near Segogle, NB (Canada) in 1999
	CF-MUE	BuAer:91426	TBM-3	-	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada)	Airworthy
	C-GCWG	BuAer: 91450	TBM-3E	"RCN 91450/VG-ABG"	Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (Canada) (destroyed in museum hangar fire, 15.2.1993)	Airworthy until destroyed 1993
	N4170A	BuAer: 91453	TBM-3E	"Marines 91453/15"	James R. Williams, Berkeley CA (USA)	Airworthy
	N4171A	BuAer: 91521	TBM-3E	-	Steve M. Hay, Lansing IN(USA)	Airworthy
	N5260V	BuAer: 91726	TBM-3E	"Marines 91726/32"	The Capt. Michael-King Smith Hughes Flying Boat Evergreen Aviation Educational Institute, McMinnville, OR (USA)	Airworthy
	N9590Z	BuAer: 91733	TBM-3E	-	Collings Foundation, Stowe MA(USA)	Airworthy
	-	BuAer:	TBM-3E	"Tanker 07"	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada)	Airworthy till crashed and destroyed in 1984 at Charlo, NB (Canada)
	-	BuAer:	TBM-3E	"Tanker 19"	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada)	Airworthy till crashed and destroyed 1983 at Sevogle airstrip, NB (Canada)
	C-GLEH	BuAer:	TBM-3E	"Tanker 20"	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada). Destoyed 6.6.1987	Airworthy till crashed and destroyed at Irvin Airfield, St Quentin, 6.6.1987 - pilot P Garon killed (Canada)
	C-GFPR	-	TBM-3E	-	New Brunswick Forest Protection Limited (FPL)(Canada). Reportedly sold to D Chable in France 2001	Static - since 1992
	-	BuAer: N/A XB446	TBM-3	-	Fleet Air Arm Museum (UK)	Static FAA aircraft
	CF-KCG	BuAer: -	TBM-3	-	Imperial War Museum - Duxford (UK)	Static
	-	BuAer:	TBM	"presented as the aircraft flown by President George Bush as a naval aviator in the Pacific theatre".	The American Air Museum , Imperial War Museum, Duxford (UK)	Static
	-	BuAer: 69459	TBM-3E	Marked as "59" See photo	War Eagles Air Museum, NM (USA)	Static
	-	BuAer: 69472	TBM-3E	-	Pima Air and Space Museum, AZ (USA)	Static
	-	BuAer:	TBM	-	Weeks Aviation Museum (USA)	Static
	-	BuAer: 53593	TBM-3E	"Navy"	National Museum of Naval Aviation (USA)	Static
	-	BuAer: 01747	TBF-1	-	National Museum of Naval Aviation (USA)	Static - in storage
	-	BuAer: 53403	TBM-3E	-	Admiral Nimitz State Historic Park : Fredericksburg, Texas (USA)(cf Pensacola NAS)	Static
	-	BuAer: 53434	TBM-3E	-	Pensacola NAS (USA)	Static
	-	BuAer: Unknown	Eastern (GM) TBM-3E (Avenger)	-	Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum : New York, New York (USA)	Static
	-	BuAer: 53726	TBM-3E	-	MCAS El Toro Historical Foundation : Santa Ana, California (USA)	Static
	-	Bu No: 91664	Eastern (GM) TBM-3E (Avenger)	-	NAS Cecil Field, FLA (USA)	Static
	N9710Z	BuAer: 53804	Eastern (GM) TBM-3E (Avenger)	-	USS Lexington Museum On The Bay : Corpus Christi, Texas (USA)	Static
	-	BuAer: 53842	TBM-3	-	Patriots Point, Mt. Pleasant, SC (USA)	Static
	-	BuAer: 85890	Eastern (GM) TBM-3E (Avenger)	-	United States Marine Corps Air/Ground Museum, Quantico, Virginia (USA)	Static
	-	BuAer: Unknown	Eastern (GM) TBM-3E (Avenger)	-	Western Aerospace Museum Oakland, California (USA)	Static
	-	BuAer: Unknown, built 1945	Grumman TBM-3E Avenger	-	Cradle of Aviation, Long Island, NY (USA) On Loan: Friends For Long Island's Heritage, sponsored by Mrs.William P. Schwendler	Static
	-	BuAer:	TBM-3E	painted in the markings of Marine Torpedo Squadron VMTB-132, stationed aboard the escort carrier U.S.S. Cape Gloucester (CVE-109) in July of 1945.	National Warplane Museum (USA) on long-term loan from the United States Marine Corps.	Composite restoration - built using components from several TBM-3E airframes
	-	BuAer24085 C/N 4968 FN 859	TBF-1	British modifications and the original wartime paint scheme with original wartime British roundels painted can also be seen under the US markings. See Photo	National Air and Space Museum (USA)	Static- in storage Lend-lease a/c to RN - The aircraft was one of the first 200 Avengers delivered to the Fleet Air Arm as Tarpon number FN 859 at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, on 8 June, 1943. It served with 738 Squadron, and it moved with this squadron to Lewiston, Maine, on 31 July, 1943. BuNo 24085 was accepted by the U.S. Navy at Norfolk Naval Air Station on 2 July, 1945
	-	BuAer: 024803	Avenger	-	USS Intrepid Museum, NY (USA)	Static
	CF-ZYC	BuAer:	TBF/TBM	-	Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum (Canada)	Static -restoration Former Fire Fighting Water Tanker
	-	BuAer:	TBF/TBM	"marked RCN TF-D" see photo	Air Park at CFB Shearwater	Static
	-	NZ2505 Constr.No. 5220 BuAer: 24337	TBF-1C	-	Long term loan to Gisborne Aviation Preservation Society (NZ) (from RNZAF Museum) (Silverstream Transport Museum in 1973)	Static - under restoration. The first TBF to be operated by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and was used as a trainer for No's 30 & 31 Squadrons based out of Gisborne. The squadrons were disbanded in 1944 and during 1945, 9 of the surviving Avengers were transferred to the Royal Navy and 16 were returned to the US Navy
	ZK-CBO	BuAer: 47859 NZ2527 5625	TBF/TBM	See photo - still in oroginl BPF colours	Museum of Transport and Technology. MOTAT (NZ)	Static
	-	BuAer: N./A NZ2504	TBF/TBM	"marked as NZ2521"	RNZAF museum, Christchurch (NZ)	Static
	-	BuAer: N/A NZ2539	TBF/TBM	-	Private collector in Auckland (NZ)	Static
	'V34'	BuAer: N/A	TBM-3	"US Navy - see photo	Israeli Air Force Museum (Israel)	Static
	-	BuAer: 45862 JZ569	TBF/TBM	original wartime markings and paint still present "Navy 45862"	Wreck - recovered Holbeach Range, Sutton Bridge (UK)	Preserved Wreck Parts JZ569 of 787 sqdn 1944 - flew into grd Holbeach range, nr Sutton bridge 5.8.44 Lt AJ Dundas killed. Parts recovered from Sutton bridge marshes 1976
	-	BuAer: No info	TBF/TBM	-	Dundonald Aviation Centre former RAF base, Troon, Ayrshire(UK) Former Fleet Air Arm aircraft	Preserved Wreck engine The largest engine on display is a Wrights Cyclone from a Fleet Air Arm Grumman Avenger which crashed off the Mull of Kintyre in Argyll in 1944.

	-	BuAer: No info	TBF/TBM	-	Wreck submerged in Majuro Lagoon, reef north of Djarrit (Rita) Island, Majuro Atoll. (Marshall Islands)	In-situ Underwater Wreck of fuselage only
	-	BuAer: No info	TBF/TBM	-	Wreck submerged Anacapa Island (Channel Islands National Park and Pacific coast National Marine Sanctuaries)(USA)	In-situ wreck
	-	BuAer: 24.... JZ327	TBF/TBM	-	Wreck - position not known Dumped at sea from a carrier from Renfrew (UK) 15.1.1946	In-situ wreck condition unknown. Ex FAA 778 sqdn 1944, 798 sqdn 1944.
			TBF	See photo	The Rachel Carson Scuba Park (USA) Crashed in training ex 1943	In-situ wreck being preserved underwater

Associations and reunions

FURTHER INFORMATION
Flightline - Preserved US Military Aircraft	This list of US military aircraft preserved and displayed was originally compiled by Ben Marselis with input from many others. Our coverage of airworthy warbirds is very limited, since Ben did not cover them in the original list. We have concentrated on those which are often on display rather than personal projects.
Airworthy Bomber Aircraft in Airworthy Warbirds & Aircraft	Worldwide lists of selected Bombers, Fighters, Liaison, Trainers and Transport aircraft. The aim of this site is to build up a database with 'all' airworthy Warbirds and those being rebuilt to airworthy condition. Currently the site contains 773 different aircraft and 451 pictures of the aircraft.
Avengers appreciation page	Tribute and details of the Airworthy Avenger fire fighting tankers in Canada.
NRVP TBM Avenger air tankers video in Air tanker message board	Offer of 1 hour video of Avenger tankers in action
TBM air tanker water bomber video by Night Rails Video	An hour long video about the TBMs firefighting in New Brunswick in 1997
Warbird Alley	Warbird Alley, an online reference source for information about privately-owned, ex-military aircraft. Includes details and specs and a summary total of airworthy aircraft including the Avenger.
	Sturtivant, R. & Burrow, M (1995) 'Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939 to 1945' Published by Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1995 ISBN: 085130 232 7

Last Modified: 3-12-2000

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