TBM Avenger

WPP Legacy Warbirds

The TBM Avenger was a premier WWII American torpedo bomber, the largest single-engine aircraft of the war, introduced in 1942 to replace the Douglas Devastator. Designed to maximize deck space on crowded aircraft carriers with its signature side-folding wings, it was also a pioneer in aerial weaponry as the first American warplane to have an internal bay capable of housing a massive 22-inch torpedo.

It was famously piloted by future President George H.W. Bush, who survived being shot down in one during a 1944 mission. Beyond its role in dropping torpedoes, the Avenger was a versatile platform used for glide-bombing and search-and-rescue. Its durability was so legendary that it remained in service through the 1960s across several nations, eventually finding a second life as a heavy-duty aerial firefighter, dropping retardant on forest fires long after the war ended.