The first U.S. Navy production Grumman TBF-1 <i>Avenger</i> torpedo bomber (BuNo 00373) in flight on 23 March 1942. The plane is in its carrier-landing attitude, with wheels, flaps, and tail hook down.<br>The colour scheme, standard from October 1941 until early 1943, consists of flat light gray undersurfaces with flat blue-gray sides and upper surfaces. "Circle-star-circle" National insignia are worn on fuselage sides and on upper and lower surfaces of both wingtips. Red and white rudder stripes were adopted at the end of December 1941 as an additional recognition marking. Both rudder strips and the red insignia center circle were removed from U.S. aircraft shortly after the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942.
U.S. Navy
1942-03-23
Official U.S. Navy photo <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/80-G-403000/80-G-403259.html">80-G-403259</a> from the U.S. Navy <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.history.navy.mil">Naval History and Heritage Command</a>