The Grumman TBF Avenger first flew on 1 August 1941. It replaced the Douglas TBD Devastator as the Navy's standard torpedo bomber in 1942. 2293 TBF's were built by Grumman at Bethpage, NY, before production was transferred under license to the Eastern Division of General Motors at Trenton, NJ. General Motors built 2882 TBM-1's and 4664 improved TBM-3's. Production ceased in September 1945. Avengers served in all WWII theaters with the USN, the USMC, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and the British Fleet Air Arm. TBM's continued in USN service post-war until 1954.

The Planes of Fame TBM-3E was accepted by the USN in June 1945. Its first operational use was in June 1948 with VA-18A (later VA-125) aboard the U.S.S. Coral Sea . She later served with the Oakland Naval Air Reserve before being surplused. In 1957, Bu53785 was converted to an aerial tanker. Her spraying career lasted until 1982. By 1983, N7075C had been rebuilt to military form and painted as a Fleet Air Arm Avenger III. Forty-seven Avengers appeared on the U.S. Civil Aircraft Registry as of 30 June 1990.