Lot's to catch up on here in the last 4 days. Let's start with the Halloween special:
We have been waiting now all week for the TBM to clear US Customs. So we went to the docks to spy on things today and saw that new concrete barriers have appeared on all sides of the plane. We inquired and were informed that the plane is now quarantined. So it is evident that our TBM is going to be sitting there for a while longer now.
So we are all leaving for our respective homes. Taigh (our specialist, consultant) and Steve (our mechanic), are headed to Milwaukee with another client who owns a Beech 18, then back to Stockton, CA. I am flying back to Chicago mid day tomorrow. When the TBM does clear customs, hopefully next week, we will all return and resume the process.
Trapped and quarantined - October 26th
View from above in the Beech 18 (picture taken 2 days ago before the barriers were added).
In the meantime, some highlights touring around the last couple of days waiting for US Customs.
This morning our Grumman TBM Avenger arrived safely in Long Beach California. Everything went as smooth as silk. Now we have to sit tight through tomorrow and hope things go as smoothly with US Customs. If things do go as planned, will be bring the TBM to the Long Beach Airport on Tuesday morning under a California Highway Patrol police escort, which for now is scheduled at 7AM.
A bow view of the battleship USS IOWA (BB-61) firing its Mark 7 16-inch/50-caliber guns off the starboard side during a fire power demonstration.
Arrived in Long Beach.
While getting the ground work started to receive the TBM, I had a chance to go and check out the USS Iowa,
USSA Iowa is USA World War 2, Korean War and Cold War battleship, which is docked at the harbor here.
Iowa fires a full broadside of nine 16-inch (410 mm)/50-caliber and six 5-inch (130 mm)/38 cal guns during a target exercise near Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, on 1 July 1984. Shock waves are visible in the water.
During World War II, she carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt across the Atlantic to Mers El Kébir, Algeria, en route to a meeting of vital importance in 1943 in Tehran with Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Britain and Josef Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union.
Here are pictures I took today in the stateroom and Captain's cabin, which is where President Roosevelt stayed and slept for 2 weeks on the trip to Algeria.
Here to the right is the ship's mascot, Vickey, short for Victory.
Vickey stayed with President Roosevelt during the entire voyage.
Panoramic of Captain's state room, which was part of a suite where President Roosevelt stayed.
Iowa in the Pacific; Indiana can be seen in the distance.
Missouri (left) transfers personnel to Iowa in advance of the surrender ceremony planned for 2 September.
Today - Guns 1 and 2
Today - Gun 1
All 16 inchs at the muzzle - note the deep rifling twist
5 inch guns, mainly used for anti-aircraft defense
Inside a 5 inch gun battery
View from the underside hatch at the number 3 main guns
View inside the underside hatch at the number 3 main guns
Above: Super close up view inside the underside hatch at the number 3 main guns
Below: Video of the Conning Tower,
protected by 18 inch solid steel
This is a view straight down a vertical delivery shaft. Note the powder charge on the upper left.
6 eighteen inch long charges were loaded for each shell fired.
Maximum effective distance was over the sight horizon of 25 miles.
TBF-1 white 18 over Wake island – original color photo
TBM-3E Avenger #3 of VT-33 in flight over USS Sangamon March 2,7 1945
Avenger #22 on deck of carrier USS Anzio during a typhoon east of the Philippines 17 December 1944.
Some pretty brave young sailors with the flight-deck crew, no lines, no life vests.
TBM-1C Avenger #48 of VT-10 on the hangar deck of the USS Enterprise – June 12 1944.
Minus one whole side of the elevator that was shot off.
Still made it all the back and landed the crew safely on the carrier deck.
TBF Avenger of VT-31 scrambles from the sinking aircraft after the pilot ditched it during
flight operations on board the light carrier USS Cabot (CVL-28) on September 6, 1943
Great news on the rear gunner's turret - it is mostly intact, including the electric drives. The one thing missing is the trigger grip from the gunner's aiming / control box. We have found a replacement (pictured).
Also, TBM Avengers were a single position pilot controlled platform. The position behind the pilot was originally for radio equipment. But in later models, many were manufactured (or converted) to house an autopilot. The old autopilots were connected directly to the main aileron and elevator flight control action shafts and cables via the same means: an actual yoke stick. In our Avenger, we have a middle seat and the lower yoke element is still there. However the yoke stick has been sawed off. We have a replacement for this too, and plan to install it so that the ship can be partially dual controlled (no rudder pedals for now for middle seat position though).
The cargo ship transporting our TBM Avenger flies the Singapore flag. It is called Parsifal and is owned by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics. It is a vehicles carrier.
Track the real time location by clicking HERE - then scroll down to the map and details on lower left. ETA October 15th in Long Beach, California.
The lowering of the road ramp allows vehicles to drive in and out. Note the orange life vessel to the upper left - imagine that ride straight down into the ocean!
Well you can watch this from a similar ship and height in the video below. It rivals 6 Flags.
The upcoming 2018 Avenger Gathering in LaSalle Peru, Illinois will be the 3rd annual event, and it seems to be growing fast. Although last year was almost a rainout, a lot of folks still showed up to see 7 Avengers that braved the foul weather. In 2016, over 20,000 people attended. The event had been founded and is presently headed up by Brad Deckert from Eureka, Illinois. Brad owns and flies a the magnificently outfitted TBM "T83"
Brad' Deckert's TBM Avenger NL81865.
This aircraft flew off the aircraft carrier USS Vella Gulf and participated in the Okinawa campaign.
This is a sad story I came across about a TBM rear turret gunner from the aircraft carrier Essex.
His name was Loyce Deen.
Loyce Deen
A most dramatic WWII scene captured on film, showed a sailor buried at sea in the plane in which he gave his life. The plane was so badly hit by 40mm anti-aircraft (AA) shells, Captain Carlos W. Wieber, Commanding Officer of the Essex, in concert with the crew, decided to leave his body in the plane. In addition, orders also came down not to strip the plane for parts - which was quite an extraordinary tribute at the time since aircraft parts were scarce and in demand. VIDEO HERE:
For almost all of his missions, Loyce teamed up with Pilot Lt. Robert Cosgrove (24) from New Orleans, Louisiana and Radioman Digby Denzek (20) from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
L to R: Digby, Cosgrove, Deen
Lt. Cosgrove was a top pilot and would often bring his almost un-flyable plane back. Loyce was the rear turret machine gunner (.50 cal.) and would protect the plane from the side and above. Digby had several roles, including arming the torpedo and operating the radio. Additionally, when they were under fire, he would crawl below the gun turret pod and use a machine gun protruding out the bottom end of the plane to protect the belly of the aircraft.
Lt. Cosgrove strategizing an attack with his wingman
Together, this team of young men fought courageously everywhere in the South Pacific. Places included the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima (to soften up defense before the invasion), Formosa (now Taiwan), Philippines, Marcus Island, Wake Island, Saipan, Orate Airfield, Rota Island, Peleliu, Mindanao, Cebu, Luzon, Panay, Okinawa and finally Manila Bay.
Loyce is the first sailor from the left in the second row from the front. Digby is the first sailor on the left in the first row. Loyce's good friend, the youngster behind him (with his arms over Loyce's shoulders) was also later killed.
