Story and Photos by GORD McNULTY
A milestone for the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum was recently celebrated with the dedication of a completely rebuilt TBM-3E Avenger. The aircraft originally served in the U.S. Navy and was later converted to a fire bomber in California before it came to Canada.
The May 31, 2026, ceremony culminated a 17-year restoration by volunteers of the museum in Hamilton, Ontario, who devoted more than 50,000 hours to bring the Avenger back to flying condition in the colors and markings of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).
The Avenger is restored in two-tone grey post-war colors of the RCN, which flew 125 Avengers for anti-submarine patrol from 1950 to 1956. They operated from the shore and onboard the Canadian aircraft carrier HMCS Magnificent.
Avengers saw action as torpedo bombers with both the U.S. and Royal Navies in the Pacific and Atlantic theaters during World War II. A total of 9,839 were built by Grumman and General Motors’ Eastern Aircraft Division.
The museum’s Avenger was built by General Motors under license from Grumman and delivered to the U.S. Navy in June 1945. It was assigned to the USS Franklin with torpedo squadron VT-5, although it never operated from the carrier’s deck.
Later assignments included a role in 1952 in Italy, as part of a fleet of 12 Avengers that delivered personnel, cargo, and mail from Rome to the U.S. Navy’s Sixth Fleet operating in the Mediterranean.
Returning to the U.S. in 1954, the Avenger was retired from active service by 1956 and moved into storage for several years in Arizona. The aircraft was sold at an auction in California in 1963, beginning a long odyssey.
It was converted to a fire bomber for operations in California from 1963 to 1972. Chemical tanks were inserted in the bomb bay.
In 1976, it was purchased by Forest Protection Limited in New Brunswick for budworm spraying. It operated with the aerial spray program until 1992 and was then placed in storage for eight years.
The Avenger was purchased by a French preservation group in 2000 and given a French registration. However, the organization couldn’t arrange transport across the Atlantic.
The aircraft remained in storage until 2009, when the museum acquired it. It was dismantled and transported by truck to the museum. With the arrival of the Avenger on Oct. 21, 2009, volunteers began rebuilding the aircraft.
James Bradley, son of museum co-founder Dennis Bradley, successfully completed the Avenger’s first test flight on May 1, 2026. He also flew the Avenger at the dedication ceremony, cheered on by a throng of volunteers, staff, supporters, and fans.
For more information: Warplane.com
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