Rare war bird

Posted on April 16, 2014

A World War II-era TBM-3E Avenger bomber made an unscheduled pitstop at the Perry-Foley Airport this past weekend. The plane was on its way to Cactus Air Force Wings and Wheels Museum from Titusville, where it had been a resident for the past several years.

Tim Brune and Lee Griffin with the Cactus Air Force had spent the previous week getting the plane ready for its flight, but they heard a “pop” while flying near here and decided to land to check it out. They discovered a problem with a magneto and were awaiting a replacement part and specialized tools before they could resume their flight, which they expect will have another 11 (planned) stops before reaching Carson City.

This particular Avenger has a “war pedigree” and saw action during four Pacific campaigns of World War II. It later found service in Canada as a fire-bomber.

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