Story and photos by Scott Jankowski
The city of Peru Illinois, incorporated in 1851, lies approximately one hour South of Rockford Illinois and is part of La Salle and Bureau counties. The city of Peru owns and operates the Illinois Valley Regional Airport (airport code KVYS) also known as Walter A. Duncan Field which is located 1 nautical mile Northeast of the city center. The airport opened in 1985 and covers 200 acres; it features 2 runways; Runway 18/36 which is 5,999 feet long and Runway 7/25 which is 3,999 feet long. It is here that the TBM Avenger Reunion and Airshow is held, this year marked its tenth anniversary. The Illinois Valley Regional Airport is also home to NL81865, a 1945 vintage General Motors manufactured TBM-3E Avenger owned and operated by Mr. Brad Deckert.
This year’s Salute to Veterans and Airshow was on May 16th and 17th and featured ten TBM Avengers, the Titan Aerobatic Team, and the United States Air Force Viper Demo Team which staged out of 182nd Airlift Wing located at the Peoria International Airport. Several other notable warbirds were also in attendance and included N133KK a 1956 Canadair Silver Star 3PR, N472AF a 1942 built Douglas C-47A-25-DK, and N74190 a 1944 manufactured North American P-51D-30-NA Mustang.
This airshow is focused on the Grumman TBF Avenger or TBM for the aircraft that General Motors manufactured and first flew on August 7th, 1941. The Avenger entered service in 1941 and first saw combat at the Battle of Midway. The Avenger is powered by a single Wright R-2600-8 Twin Cyclone, 14-cylinder air cooled radial piston engine which generates 1,700 horsepower. The Avenger carries a crew of three and consists of a pilot, turret gunner, and a radioman/ventral gunner/bombardier. The aircraft has a top speed of 278 miles per hour, a cruising speed of 215 miles per hour and a range of 905 miles. It can carry up to eight forward firing rockets, 2,000 pounds of bombs or a 2,000-pound torpedo, to protect itself from enemy aircraft it also carries two wing mounted, ventral mounted, and dorsal mounted Browning machine guns. The Avenger was nicknamed the “turkey” because of its size and maneuverability compared to the Grumman F-4F Wildcat they flew with on escort carriers with.
The Avenger would become the most widely used torpedo bomber of World War II and would become the most effective submarine killer of World War II. It would go on to be credited with sinking 30 enemy submarines in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters. The Avenger was also the torpedo bomber used during the sinking of the Japanese “Super Battleships Musashi and the Yamato. A total of 9,839 airframes would be manufactured before production ceased and would see service with the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, The Royal New Zealand Navy, France, and many others until the 1960’s. In later years the Avenger would be called into service again and was widely used as a spray applicator and water bomber. Future U.S. President George H.W. Bush flew Avengers and was actually shot down and rescued in 1944. Well known actor Paul Newman was also an Avenger Aviator as a rear gunner. Approximately 35 Avengers are still flyable in the United States.
A total of ten Avengers were present at Peru this year and included several annual attenders such as N73642 Bureau number 69329 a TBM-3E operated by DB Aero.
NL436GM Bureau number 91436 a TBM-3E operated by Mr. Charles Cartledge.
N4171A Bureau number 91521 a TBM-3E operated by Mr. Tim Savage.
NL683G Bureau number 53768 a TBM-3U operated by Mr. Tom Buck.
NL53503 Bureau number 53503 an Avenger AS-3 operated by the Commemorative Air Force.
N5260V Bureau number 91726 a TBM-3E operated by CBS Aviation LLC.
N28SF Bureau number 85983 an Avenger AS.3M operated by Avengers Educators LLC.
NL9584Z Bureau number 85882 a TBM-3E operated by N9584Z LLC.
N86280 Bureau number 86280 a TBM-3E operated by The Cavanaugh Flight Museum.
The final Avenger is the Peru based NL81865 Bureau number 85828 a TBM-3E owned and operated by Mr. Brad Deckert. This beautifully restored TBM served in World War II with Marine Torpedo Squadron 234 (VMTB-234) onboard the U.S.S. Vella Gulf (VE-111). This Avenger participated in strikes on the Islands of Pagan and Rota in the Marianas and the Okinawa Campaigns. This Avenger would be retired from service in 1954 and would serve as an aerial sprayer from 1954 to 1989. Mr. Deckert would acquire the airframe in 2009 and has operated it since.
The other main highlight of this year’s show was a performance by the United States Air Force Viper Demo Team flying the Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon. The team is based out of Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina and is commanded by Major Taylor “FEMA” Heister. This year’s Demo Jet is specially painted to commemorate the F-16’s 50th birthday and represents the original color scheme the prototype F-16 wore.
Joining the F-16 in the Heritage Flight was NL74190 a 1944 manufactured North American P-51D-30-NA Mustang, owned and flown by Mr. Bruce “Doc” Winter of San Antonio Texas. This beautifully resorted P-51D wears the colors of World War II Ace Jack Illfrey who was part of the 94th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group. He is credited with shooting down 7 ½ enemy aircraft and was shot down twice and evaded capture both times.
The afternoon airshow also featured the Titan Aerobatic Team, formerly the Aeroshell Team, flying the North American AT-6 Texan. JP Mellor flew an aerobatic routine in N66TY, a North American T-6G Texan named “Spanish Lady.” N133KK a 1956 manufactured Canadair Silver Star 3PR made several passes. Rounding out the airshow participants were a pair of transports; N472AF a 1941 manufactured Douglas C-47A-25-DK and N213DE a 1940 manufactured Beechcraft AT-11.
Static display aircraft included N509WT a 1955 manufactured North American T-28B Trojan, N1666T a 1941 built North American SNJ-5B, N8204H a 1942 manufactured North American AT-6C Texan, and N18P a 1945 built General Motors/Grumman FM-2 Wildcat. N661MM a 2023 manufactured IAI LTD. Gulfstream G280, flown by Marquis Energy arrived during the afternoon airshow and was parked on the static display ramp. Also arriving and departing several times was Peru based N240SF, a 2010 manufactured Eurocopter BK-117C-2 operated by OSF Lifeflight-Children’s Hospital.
This is a fantastic free Warbird Airshow that continues to grow in popularity every year. This is one definitely worth checking out if you are in the area, it will give you a chance to see the largest gathering of TBM’s in the world. Until next time” Blue Skies to All!”
