The Connecticut Air & Space Center is presenting an educational display of historical artifacts and photos that tell the history of 550 Main Street in Stratford, Conn. The buildings at 550 Main Street saw Igor Sikorsky develop his seaplane business, which help fund his invention the helicopter. It saw World War II on the horizon and the property expanded to build the US Navy’s best fighter, the F4U Corsair. It saw Lycoming, Avco, Textron, Allied Signal and finally the US Army create military engines by the truckload at the Stratford Army Engine Plant. Now, shuttered since 1998, 550 Main Street waits for to be developed for a new generation.
The display features a running timeline of all the amazing aircraft and technology that was developed in the town of Stratford, museum officials said, noting the display includes many unique artifacts that relate directly to the former factory.
“Our mission at its very core is to honor the men and women who worked in Connecticut’s aviation industry, preserve unique artifacts from the site and to educate the public about their amazing feats. This display enables us to educate a whole new generation that never saw 550 Main Street as anything more than a vacant building.” says Connecticut Air and Space Center’s Executive Director Andrew King.
The display will available for viewing during normal business hours at the Stratford Connecticut Town Hall at 2725 Main Street, Stratford, Conn., till the end of June.
The Connecticut Air and Space Center, a non-profit 501c(3) charity, was founded by Former State Senator George “Doc” Gunther in 1998 after the closing of the Stratford Army Engine Plant, in Stratford, Connecticut. The museum is located in buildings 6 and 53 at the former Stratford Army Engine Plant.
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