This is an original TBM - 3E Avenger that Randal
McFarlane found in use as a fire fighting plane in California. He has fully
restored the BU#91110 aircraft - as "Georgia Peach" flown by Torpedo
Bombing squadron VT83. He flys the aircraft at Australia air shows.
Click on an image to see a larger view.
Thank you Randal, for sharing these photos with us.
Randal McFarlane served in the Royal Australian Navy aboard the carrier HMAS Melbourne He was Senior Air Traffic Controller.
From Jim Purtell, ARM1c, Torpedo Squadron VT83
BobWhat a surprise seeing that restored Avenger. I checked out the number in my log book and lo and behold I find I flew a mission in it.
On April 28, 1945, Lt. LeClair, Joe Fitzgerald and myself were on a bombing mission on Okinawa. We were assigned to destroy a bridge. I armed the bombs and we went into a gliding dive and dropped the bombs. Unfortunately, according to my log book, we missed the damn thing. We continued on strafing targets of opportunity, and I don't remember if any of the other planes hit the bridge or not.
I must admit when I read the number on the plane, and then saw it in my log book, I was amazed. After so many years it's almost impossible to realize that the plane still exists, and in such pristine condition.
Jim
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