whistlingdeathcorsairs wrote:
was this just a prototype or did it make it into production? I know nothing of this bird
I wouldn't feel too bad about that, as most warbird "experts" I meet don't know the Sea Wolf story either.
In a nutshell...
The XTBU was Vought-Sikorsky's design submission in the same competition as Grumman's XTBF. As the Sea Wolf had a projected 50 mph speed advantage on the Avenger, the Navy was intrigued enough to offer a production contract. But since V-S simply didn't have the production capability available (committed to F4U & OS2U production), Consolidated-Vultee offered to build the Sea Wolf (now TBY) under license. A string of delays including a protracted testing schedule and plant set-up/worker training resulted in the first operational squadron, VT-154/155, being scheduled to arrive in the war zone aboard the USS Leyte on November 1, 1945 (the CO being none other than Midway veteran Lt. Commander George Gay).
With Nagasaki, TBY production ended with 180 examples completed. Some flew straight from factory (Allentown, PA) to the scrapper. Most were delivered to the pool at NAS Quonset, some used as target tugs with VJ-4 and VJ-15 at the same location--others used as hacks on the east coast. None officially on Navy inventory after 1947.
Pireps indicate better performance, easier to fly, and lower stick forces than TBM. She apparently suffered from a number of electrical gremlins though.
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