Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:44:27-2:45:14

Why Fairey Spearfish and Grumman Avenger are different generations

The Spearfish began as a late-war successor while the Avenger was an earlier design repeatedly improved through combat experience.

Fairey SpearfishGrumman TBF AvengerNaval AviationTorpedo BombersWorld War II
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Question

How much more advanced was the Fairey Spearfish than the Grumman TBF and General Motors TBM Avenger?

Short answer

It was a later-generation design, but the answer depends on which system and which mature Avenger variant is being compared.

Notes

Whether Fairey Spearfish was 'more advanced' depends on the component and the Avenger variant being compared. The TBF and TBM family began as an early-war design and matured through successive wartime changes. Fairey Spearfish belonged to the next design generation but reached production too late to establish the same operational record. This compares a mature combat-proven aircraft family with a newer successor shaped by later requirements.