TBM Avenger & Samantha
- © Britt Dietz -

Continuing the 'Aviation Pinup Series' featuring each branch of the US Military... this pinup features Samantha, the US Marine Corps, and a turkey... more commonly known as the Grumman TBM Avenger. With the first flight of this 10,500 pound aircraft in August of 1941, the TBF/TBM Avenger went on to be one of the best torpedo bombers of World War 2. It was designed for joint use by the US Marines and Navy and served with 10 different countries in various naval roles. A few famous people in history flew Avengers during the war including actor Paul Newman and future President George H.W. Bush. Avengers appeared in the Steven Spielberg movie 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' when Flight 19, the flight of five TBM Avengers that disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle, magically returned in the desert. The TBM was finally retired from service in the 1960s with nearly 10,000 built! This pinup is part of a new 'simple' type of aviation pinup that I'll be doing more of in the coming months using Army Air Force, Navy, and Marine aircraft ranging from fighters to transports to bombers. Each will feature a pinup with an aircraft and the matching US insignia for that aircraft as we go through each branch of the service honoring the pilots and aircraft of WW2. The background will also be themed to the aircraft's color schemes during the war.

The Dietz Dolls Aviation Pinup Series features World War 2 aircraft (called Warbirds) paired with a pinup model wearing authentic flight clothing to the 1940s era. Available for purchase in all sorts of different sizes including posters!