Model Fest 11 is Here!

Model Fest is here at the Knights of Columbus in Milford on October 9th! Hosted by the Stratford IPMS 

CASC at Captain's Cove Seaport

On September 11th, the Connecticut Air & Space Center was present at Captain's Cove in Bridgeport to honor the people who were lost on that fateful day, and to be with the local community showcasing our unique brand of honor and sacrifice. While we don't have any displays from the 9/11 tragedies, we all feel connected to that day. Aside from that it was business as usual here at the CASC, with informing the public about our aircraft, restorations, and aspirations. Senator Richard Blumenthal was on hand to share in the festivities. We also had a chance to converse with him and show him just what we've been up to. Maybe with his help could we see a public location opened sooner than we think.

CASCADE (July - August)

NEAM visits CASC!

The Connecticut Air & Space Center was visited by a large group of members from the New England Air Museum on Tuesday to view our facility and growing collection. While NEAM was founded in 1959, their collection is unrivaled in the entirety of New England. It was not only exciting but insightful to have 12 or so members from such a prestigious and acknowledged museum visit our humble workshop and small museum. Their interest should inspire us to push ahead and open permanently to the public in some form or fashion. Be it in our current location or an off site satellite location, we have enough artifacts (and with enough planning) the capability to design and build some amazing displays. The hour long tour consisted of numerous and thought provoking questions from the fellow tours, general amazement and interest, with periodic stops along the many large aircraft and displays. All in all it was a day showing other airplane people around our airplanes. We hope to continue coordinating and working with “our big brothers” up north that will be beneficial and helpful to both organizations.

CASC at Discovery Museum (Sunday - August 14)

Come out this Sunday to the Discovery Museum for the "First in Flight Festival". The CASC will be on hand with exhibits, artifacts, and (trailer providing) Andy's exact replica on Whitehead's No.21!

http://www.discoverymuseum.org/museum/museum/events.html

CASCADE (Airshow Edition)

Wings & Wheels 2011 Airshow

This past weekend was the Wings & Wheels Airshow, held at the Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford CT. While the weather didn't cooperate as well as she could have, the show still went on and locals were treated to the sights and sounds of many different type of aircraft. Photos by Robwkamm.

The CASC was out in full force with no less than 5 aircraft projects:

1. Whitehead No. 21 Replica

2. FG-1D Corsair (Mockup w. original parts)

3. S-52 Cab

4. S-60 Cab

5. H-23 Raven 

We were able to spread the word about the museum and our efforts. While the Corsair project is moving into a new phase, we are currently working to enhance our accessibility to the public. Stay tuned for more updates and new releases.

Keep updated with the CASC on Facebook!

With today's world of internet connectivity, Facebook is an essential tool with helping raise awareness to a cause such as the CASC. This blog will be continued to be updated, but the Facebook page will more than likely be updated more due to the simplicity of it. Either way the blog, FB page, and other websites will continue to inform the public on the CASC and its projects. http://www.facebook.com/ctairandspace

Sikorsky Corsair on the Move!

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=40865&p=409931#p409931

Sikorsky Memorial Corsair on the Move Pictures provided by Morgan Kaolian (Aeropix@Prodigy.net). http://www.aeropix.net/

Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Corsair on the Move
Connecticut World War Two Fighter restoration project takes a major step forward. 

STRATFORD, CT (May 7, 2011) – The Sikorsky Memorial Corsair is making a huge leap on its path to resurrection by taking a journey to Ezell Aviation Warbird Restorers in Breckinridge, Texas. As the result of the collaboration with Ezell Aviation and The Connecticut Air & Space Center, this journey will accomplish two goals. The first is to help another historic Corsair aircraft, a Brewster F3A, come back to its original glory, and to the air. The second is to knock up to 2 years of restoration work off of the Stratford FG1-D that would have been expensive, significant, lengthy and difficult to accomplish without this amazing and vital alliance.

Thanks to a chance meeting between the Sikorsky Memorial Corsair Restoration Director, Drew King and Massachusetts Corsair enthusiast Matt Hudak, a friendship and understanding was formed with Chad Ezell of Ezell Aviation Warbird Restorers. At the time Ezell took on the project of the Brewster Corsair restoration they were in need of an airframe to make a construction assembly jig. This equipment is custom built to a specific aircraft, and as it turned out, the Sikorsky Memorial Corsair was at a point of disassembly that could serve as this pattern.

The damage to the curved aluminum Wingspar of the Sikorsky Corsair, forming the famous Corsair silhouette, is extensive from the corrosion caused by 37 years on it’s post standing guard outside the entrance to Sikorsky Memorial Airport but has not compromised its ability to serve as a pattern. The other major sections of the aircraft, also in varying degrees of degradation, will also serve as patterns and models with which Ezell Aviation can advance their efforts to bring to life another significant piece of Corsair history by restoring the Brewster F3A back to the airworthy condition for all to see.

While in Texas, the collaboration will involve the Sikorsky FG1-D being used to build manufacturing frame jigs but will also involve being repaired by Ezell Aviation’s crew with the assistance of several members of the Connecticut Air & Space Center’s team of restoration specialists. This work represents a major advance in this project and eventual presentation back to the people of Connecticut as a historically accurate static representation of this very special aircraft. On Memorial Day, 29 May 2005, the Corsair was named the official aircraft of Connecticut in legislation sponsored by state senator George "Doc" Gunther and although no attempt will be made to make the Sikorsky Memorial Corsair airworthy, she will be displayed in a proper and honorable environment here in the State of Connecticut serving as a reminder, testament and homage to those who built, flew and died in these airplanes in the service of our country. 

The Chance Vought-Sikorsky F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft built in Stratford, CT. The Corsair saw service primarily in World War II and during the Korean War as a ground support and night fighter. The Japanese allegedly nicknamed the Corsair "Whistling Death", for the noise made by airflow through the wing root-mounted oil cooler air intakes and had great respect for its capabilities. Demand for the aircraft overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster Aeronautical Corporation: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and Brewster-built aircraft were known as F3A. Of the Corsairs built and few remaining, the F3A is a rare find and the Connecticut Air & Space Center is honored to be a small part of Ezell’s efforts to rebuild her.

For more information, pictures and video, check out the restoration on:
http://www.SikorskyMemorialCorsair.org
http://www.ezellaviation.com

About the Connecticut Air & Space Center:
The Connecticut Air & Space Center was founded by George “Doc” Gunther in 1998 after the closing of the Stratford Army Engine Plant, in Stratford, Connecticut. Currently the Connecticut Air & Space Center occupies buildings 6 and 53 at the former Stratford Army Engine Plant complex. The Connecticut Air & Space Center is a non-profit 501c(3) charity. The mission of the CASC is to Honor, Preserve and Educate the story of aviation and technology throughout the State of Connecticut.

About Ezell Aviation:
Ezell Aviation is based in Breckenridge, Texas and has been in the aircraft restoration business for 20 years. They are experts in the Warbird Restoration industry with over 20 flying restorations to date in museums and private collections. The company’s specialty and main work flow has been since its origin, World War II and post-war aircraft. The majority of the company’s restorations have been to bring the aircraft back to flying condition.


Photos Here:  http://s190.photobucket.com/albums/z141/Warbird-Kid/Sikorsky%20Corsair%20to%20Ezell/

Wings N Wheels Show 2011 (British Invasion)

Well its finally broke. Jerry O'Neill (Airshow Organizer) has released the details for this year's Wings N Wheels Airshow held at historic Sikrosky Memorial Airport. Linked below is the post Jerry made on Warbird Information Exchange.

May 21 & 22 will see vintage vehicles and aircraft converge on Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, CT for "Wings N Wheels: British Invasion". We will be saluting the 50th Anniversary of the Jaguar XKE with multiple examples as well as other British cars and aircraft.

For us warbird guys, here's the scheduled line-up:
P-40 Jacky C, FG-1D Skyboss, C-54 BAHF, B-25 Panchito, Spitfire (Sunday 22nd only), C-47, C-45, Sopwith 1/2 Strutter, SNJ, Fokker Triplane, SPAD VII, T-28, PT-23, PT-17, Howard DGA, C-130, L-39, HH-60, H-34 Seahorse, UH-1D Huey. parts of the Stratford based FG-1D Restoration will also be on display. Sorry, pieces only as they have made some great progress since last year!

Orbiter Pilot Joe Edwards will perform acro in his T-28 and Billy Werth will perform his acro routine in his Pitts S2C.
Panchito will also be offering thier ride program all weekend long!

The VIP Photo Pass program is also gong on this year. The weekend pass (there's daily ones too!) includes Friday arrival day, Saturday and Sunday 5:00am Access to field. Behind the ropes ramp access during show, Night shoots on both Friday and Saturday nights with running aircraft and lighting provided, two vertical lifts for high angle photography. See details on website.
There is more pending and I will update you on them as they happen. They just got the website up.

http://wingsnwheelsct.org/
Original Post

S-60 in Mechanix Illustrated (Sept 1959)

From Ebay this original article from the September 1959 issue of Mechanix Illustrated explains in detail the Sikorsky S-60 Prototype Helicopter and its "potential" uses. While the idea of a floating nightclub suspended by four S-60s was lofty at best, the article was still a great PR vehicle to promote Sikorsky and the rotocraft. Scanned and preserved in the CASC archives, here are the digital versions for all to share and enjoy here on the internet! Its especially motivating for the members of our museum that are conducting the actual restoration on this very helicopter to see these pages from over fifty years ago!

Find more information on the S-60 and the restoration currently being undertaken on her at the Connecticut Air & Space Center click HERE

CASCADE March-April

Well its that time again. Time for a small update at the CASC with the newsletter, CASCADE.