For sale is a brand new, unopened, rare Hobby Master 1:72 Air Power Series HA1202

Grumman TBF Avenger Diecast Model

USN Flight 19, Bermuda Triangle, December 5th 1945

"The Lost Squadron"

History behind Flight 19

Flight 19, five USN TBM Avenger torpedo bombers from Fort Lauderdale NAS which disappeared on a training exercise December 5, 1945. The aircraft and crew members were never found, along with a PBM Mariner seaplane and a crew of 13 that was sent to look for the missing Avengers. A ship’s captain said that there was an explosion in the area of his ship and that they had sailed through an oil slick but there were no signs of wreckage or the crew. The ships location was in the same area where the PBM would have been so it was assumed that the explosion and oil was from that flight.

The Avengers were to depart and navigate to specific points and do a low level bombing strafing practise along the way and then fly to other points and return to Ft. Lauderdale. The instructor was Lt. Charles Taylor who saw combat in the Pacific Theater and had over 2500 hours of flight experience. He hadn’t been at the base very long and wasn’t familiar with the region and it’s geography which pilots of that era used to help with navigation. To make matters worse it is said that Taylor had a history of becoming lost and had ditched 3 airplanes in the Pacific.

All the planes were pre-flight checked and fueled for a minimum of 5 hours of flying. Upon departure the weather was acceptable but the seas were moderate to rough. It was normal procedure for a trainee pilot to assume lead and the instructor would follow to keep a watchful eye on the entire flight and would take over if a problem developed.

From crew radio conversations monitored by the base and other aircraft the bombing portion of the flight was successful but not long after making the turn on to their second leg it was becoming clear that the flight was lost and Lt. Taylor assumed the lead. While monitoring of the conversations continued it became clear that Lt. Taylor was the only one who thought they were lost he reported that both of his compasses weren’t working. The student pilots were quite familiar with the area and didn’t agree with the Lt. Taylor, they believed they were exactly where they should have been but they followed the instructors lead. Taylor radioed a senior flight instructor who was flying in the area and told him he thought they were over the Florida Keys. He was advised that if he was certain he was over the Keys to fly with the sun off if port wing and he would fly up the coast to Ft. Lauderdale. Weather began to worsen and radio contact became intermittent but it is known that Taylor had argued with one of the other members of the flight who insisted that they should fly west until they made land or ran out of fuel. This probably would have been the correct thing to do but it was too late to correct Taylor’s mistake, the flight possibly was well out to sea by this time. The one definite thing Taylor should have done was fly west north west this would have taken him to land no matter where he was. Further transmissions heard Taylor saying that the flight should turn around and fly back in the direction they had just come from. In the transmission he was very indecisive and his conversation was more of a suggestion and not an order so it was obvious he was not in command. The next transmission was for the flight to tighten up and that they may have to ditch in the ocean when the first plane only had ten gallons of fuel left, “we all go down together”. That was the last ever heard from Flight 19, Squadron 79M. U.S. Navy investigators concluded the obvious, that Flight 19 had become disoriented and ditched at sea when the aircraft ran out of fuel. Some questioned the explanation, doubts which helped develop the Bermuda Triangle legend.

The model had been kept always in the BOX.

The BOX and model are shown at the pictures. Pure collector's item.

IT IS COMPLETELY SEALED. BID WITH CONFIDENCE (see my other feedback from similar models).

Comes from smoke/pet free environment.

I will be happy to provide more Information if needed.

Shipping is signed and tracked, and Packaging will be of the best quality.

Thank you !!!!

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