05/31/2007. Remarks by Bill Ewing: "Coded "905", this was my aircraft. The tubular fairing on the port side is the housing for the MAD boom (Magnetic Anomoly Detector). In use, the boom with the MAD sending unit was extended aft. The 'Y' fairing under the cowling was the mount for the MAD Receiver unit. The round canisters were commonly known as 'butt cans'.

From the photo, the 'butt can' normally found on the end of the boom is not mounted in this photo, as the MAD gear was only there for show with VC-920.

Grumman G-40 TBM-3 Avenger ("906") (Bill Ewing Collection)

Avenger coded "906" shows the two 'butt cans' (transmitter & receiver), as well as the wing-mounted radar and rocket rails. The port wing has four rocket rails, while the starboard only three. One was eliminated due to the proximity of the radar pod.

The 900 numbers were changed between aircraft as the Avengers were back and forth with Station Shearwater. They were strictly squadron numbers and nothing to do with the aircraft serial. My aircraft was always 905, although I can remember at least four different aircraft wearing that same number."

Grumman G-40 TBM-3 Avenger ("905") (Bill Ewing Collection) on the flightline of RCN Reserve Squadron VC-920

Read the type remarks on page 12451.