Model Forum / General / Models / December 2005

I have an old book (I can't tell the actual title, as the book is in
Japanese...my best guess is 50 Years of Japanese Aviation) that has a photo of
two JMSDF Avengers in formation.  One is a TBM-3S in what looks to be overall
light gray with a black anti-glare panel ahead of the cockpit.  The other is a
TBM-3W in overall glossy sea blue.  Both aircraft have oversized 3-digit buzz
codes on the cowlings, and 4-digit serials on the tail, prefixed with the
katakana symbol "Ka" (for Kai, "Sea") and a hyphen.  There are also the usual
Japanese kanji JMSDF slogans on the rear fuselages and white-edged hinomaru on
the fuselages and wing positions.  The -3W aircraft's markings are included as a
choice from the High Planes 1/72nd scale conversion kit.

According to warbirdregistry.org, there are three preserved JMSDF Avengers, but
they don't have photos of any of them in their database.
Stephen Bierce