Stratford Army Engine Plant
Encyclopedia
The Stratford Army Engine Plant (SAEP) was a U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command installation and manufacturing facility located in Stratford, Connecticut
, where it was sited along the Housatonic River
and Main Street, opposite Sikorsky Airport.
The plant was originally built in 1929 as Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporations
's manufacturing facility. The Sikorsky S-39
, Sikorsky S-40
"Flying Forest", Sikorsky S-41
, Sikorsky S-42
"Clipper" and Sikorsky S-43
"Baby Clipper" were built in this plant, which had a seaplane ramp for launching the aircraft into the Housatonic River.
When sales of amphibians fell in the late 1930s, due to the growing popularity of land-based aircraft, Sikorsky was merged with the Chance Vought
Company by their parent United Aircraft
in 1938. The Vought-Sikorsky company then built the Vought-Sikorsky VS-44
, Vought-Sikorsky OS2U Kingfisher, Vought-Sikorsky F4U Corsair and Vought-Sikorsky V-173
in the facility.
After the combined company was broken into Vought Aircraft and Sikorsky Aircraft in January 1943, Vought built the Vought TBY Sea Wolf
, Vought XF5U
, Vought F6U Pirate and prototype Vought F7U Cutlass in the facility. Igor Sikorsky
, given $250,000 for helicopter development by United Aircraft, also developed the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300, Vought-Sikorsky VS-316 R-4
, Vought-Sikorsky VS-327 R-5
and Vought-Sikorsky VS-316B R-6
in the plant. Sikorsky's production was moved to a plant in Bridgeport Connecticut in 1943 and Vought production was moved to an empty US government facility in Dallas Texas in 1949. In 1954 Sikorsky moved the majority of their manufacturing to a new plant on the north side of Stratford, further up the Housatonic River.
This move left the Stratford plant vacant, and soon afterward, flooding from the Housatonic River damaged much of the facility. The US Air Force purchased the facility in 1951 and renamed it Air Force Plant No. 43. Avco Corporation
became the contractor operating the plant and they repaired the damaged buildings, and built dikes. Avco moved a company they owned, Lycoming
into the plant in the same year and began manufacturing Wright R-1820
piston engines and General Electric J47
components there. In 1952 Lycoming had Anselm Franz
set up a turbine engine development effort in the plant and the Lycoming T53
, Lycoming T55, Lycoming PLF1, Lycoming LTS101/LPT101, Lycoming ALF 502, Lycoming AGT1500 and Lycoming TF-40 turbine engines were all designed, developed and manufactured in this facility. By 1968, 10,000 people were employed in the plant. In 1976, the plant was transferred from the Air Force to the Army and renamed the Stratford Army Engine Plant. Production of the LTS-101 and LPT-101 turbine engines was moved to Williamsport, Pennsylvania
beginning in 1980. In 1987 Avco was purchased by Textron
to become Textron Lycoming and in 1995, Allied Signal acquired the Lycoming Turbine Engine Division in Stratford. By this time, employment in the plant had fallen to 2,900 people. In late 1995, Allied Signal announced that production would be shifted to its facility in Phoenix Arizona. In September 1998, Allied Signal concluded operations in the plant and returned it to the US Army. AGT1500 production was shifted by the Army to the Anniston Army Depot
(ANAD)in Anniston, Alabama
.
It occupied a 124 acres (50.2 ha) tract and included 49 industrial buildings and an earthen causeway that was built 800 feet (243.8 m) into the Housatonic River mudflats to provide for access by seaplane
s.
Because of the Base Realignment and Closure
actions of the United States Department of Defense
, closure of the plant was recommended in July 1995. The SAEP closed on 30 September 1998. For the next 11 years the Army was involved with "Team Stratford" to develop the property. The United States Army
, which owns the 78 acres (315,655.1 m²) site, auction
ed it off on 19 March 2008 with a winning bid of $9,612,000 which also includes the 1720000 ft2 facility of over 50 buildings. This bid failed to be paid off and is now being placed for rebid. Currently Robert Hartmann of Hartmann Development has a $1 billion plan to develop the former Army engine plant into a destination resort
.
The Connecticut Air and Space Center
occupies part of the site.
Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
, where it was sited along the Housatonic River
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...
and Main Street, opposite Sikorsky Airport.
The plant was originally built in 1929 as Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporations
Sikorsky Aircraft
The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. Its parent company is United Technologies Corporation.-History:...
's manufacturing facility. The Sikorsky S-39
Sikorsky S-39
The Sikorsky S-39 was a smaller, single-engine version of the S-38 light amphibious aircraft, built in the USA by aviation firm Sikorsky Aircraft during the early 1930s.-Postwar usage:...
, Sikorsky S-40
Sikorsky S-40
-References:NotesBibliography* Davies, R.E.G. Pan Am: An Airline and its Aircraft. New York: Orion Books, 1987. ISBN 0-517-56639-7.* Yenne, Bill. Seaplanes & Flying Boats: A Timeless Collection from Aviation's Golden Age. New York: BCL Press, 2003. ISBN 1-932302-03-4.-External links:* * * * ...
"Flying Forest", Sikorsky S-41
Sikorsky S-41
-External links:*...
, Sikorsky S-42
Sikorsky S-42
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Davies, R.E.G. Pan Am: An Airline and its Aircraft. New York: Orion Books, 1987. ISBN 0-517-56639-7....
"Clipper" and Sikorsky S-43
Sikorsky S-43
-External links:* - Howard Hughes Sikorsky S-43...
"Baby Clipper" were built in this plant, which had a seaplane ramp for launching the aircraft into the Housatonic River.
When sales of amphibians fell in the late 1930s, due to the growing popularity of land-based aircraft, Sikorsky was merged with the Chance Vought
Vought
Vought is the name of several related aerospace firms. These have included, in the past, Lewis and Vought Corporation, Chance Vought, Vought Sikorsky, LTV Aerospace , Vought Aircraft Companies, and the current Vought Aircraft Industries. The first incarnation of Vought was established by Chance M...
Company by their parent United Aircraft
United Technologies Corporation
United Technologies Corporation is an American multinational conglomerate headquartered in the United Technologies Building in Hartford, Connecticut...
in 1938. The Vought-Sikorsky company then built the Vought-Sikorsky VS-44
Sikorsky VS-44
-References:NotesBibliography** early article on VS-44 with cutaway drawing of VS-44 on of three page article.* excellent photos...
, Vought-Sikorsky OS2U Kingfisher, Vought-Sikorsky F4U Corsair and Vought-Sikorsky V-173
Vought V-173
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Chant, Christopher. Fantastic Aircraft. New York: Gallery Books, 1984. ISBN 0-8317-3-189-3.* Ginter, Steve. Chance Vought V-173 and XFU-1 Flying Pancakes . Simi Valley, CA: Steve Ginter Publishing, 1992. ISBN 0-942612-21-3.* Guyton, Boone T...
in the facility.
After the combined company was broken into Vought Aircraft and Sikorsky Aircraft in January 1943, Vought built the Vought TBY Sea Wolf
TBY Sea Wolf
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Ginter, Steve, Bill Chana and Phil Prophett. Vought XTBU-1 & TBY-2 Sea Wolf . Simi Valley, CA: Ginter Books, 1995 . ISBN 0-942612-33-7.-External links:***...
, Vought XF5U
Vought XF5U
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Chant, Christopher. Fantastic Aircraft. New York: Gallery Books, 1984. ISBN 0-8317-3-189-3.* Ginter, Steve. Chance Vought V-173 and XF5U-1 Flying Pancakes . Simi Valley, CA: Steve Ginter Publishing, 1992. ISBN 0-942612-21-3.* Guyton, Boone and Paul Marcus. "The Ups and...
, Vought F6U Pirate and prototype Vought F7U Cutlass in the facility. Igor Sikorsky
Igor Sikorsky
Igor Sikorsky , born Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky was a Russian American pioneer of aviation in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft...
, given $250,000 for helicopter development by United Aircraft, also developed the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300, Vought-Sikorsky VS-316 R-4
Sikorsky R-4
The Sikorsky R-4 was a two-place helicopter designed by Igor Sikorsky with a single, three-bladed main rotor and powered by a radial engine. The R-4 was the world's first large-scale mass-produced helicopter and the first helicopter to enter service with the United States Army Air Forces, Navy, and...
, Vought-Sikorsky VS-327 R-5
Sikorsky H-5
The Sikorsky H-5, is a helicopter built by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, formerly used by the United States Air Force, and its predecessor, the United States Army Air Forces, as well as the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard The Sikorsky H-5, (aka R-5, S-51, HO3S-1, or Horse) (R-5...
and Vought-Sikorsky VS-316B R-6
Sikorsky R-6
-External links:http://www.aerofiles.com/_sik.html Data and image of R-6...
in the plant. Sikorsky's production was moved to a plant in Bridgeport Connecticut in 1943 and Vought production was moved to an empty US government facility in Dallas Texas in 1949. In 1954 Sikorsky moved the majority of their manufacturing to a new plant on the north side of Stratford, further up the Housatonic River.
This move left the Stratford plant vacant, and soon afterward, flooding from the Housatonic River damaged much of the facility. The US Air Force purchased the facility in 1951 and renamed it Air Force Plant No. 43. Avco Corporation
Avco
Avco Corporation is a subsidiary of Textron which operates Textron Systems Corporation and Lycoming.-Brief history:The Embry-Riddle Company created the Aviation Corporation in 1928 as a holding company tasked with acquiring small airlines...
became the contractor operating the plant and they repaired the damaged buildings, and built dikes. Avco moved a company they owned, Lycoming
Lycoming Engines
Lycoming Engines is a U.S. aircraft engine company, known primarily for its general aviation engines. For most of its history Lycoming has been part of the AVCO group as AVCO Lycoming. In 1987 AVCO was purchased by Textron to become Textron Lycoming...
into the plant in the same year and began manufacturing Wright R-1820
Wright R-1820
|-See also:-References:* Bridgman, L, Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. Crescent. ISBN 0-517-67964-7* Eden, Paul & Soph Moeng, The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Amber Books Ltd. Bradley's Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London, NI 9PF, 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1), 1152...
piston engines and General Electric J47
General Electric J47
|-Specifications :-Nuclear-powered version – The X39:In the 1950s, interest in the development of nuclear-powered aircraft led GE to experiment with two nuclear-powered gas turbine designs, one based on the J47, and another new and much larger engine called the X211.The design based on the J47...
components there. In 1952 Lycoming had Anselm Franz
Anselm Franz
Dr. Anselm Franz was a pioneering Austrian jet engine engineer known for the development of the Jumo 004, the world's first mass-produced turbojet engine by Nazi Germany during World War II, and his work on turboshaft designs in the U.S...
set up a turbine engine development effort in the plant and the Lycoming T53
Lycoming T53
-External links:* *...
, Lycoming T55, Lycoming PLF1, Lycoming LTS101/LPT101, Lycoming ALF 502, Lycoming AGT1500 and Lycoming TF-40 turbine engines were all designed, developed and manufactured in this facility. By 1968, 10,000 people were employed in the plant. In 1976, the plant was transferred from the Air Force to the Army and renamed the Stratford Army Engine Plant. Production of the LTS-101 and LPT-101 turbine engines was moved to Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
beginning in 1980. In 1987 Avco was purchased by Textron
Textron
Textron is a conglomerate that includes Bell Helicopter, E-Z-GO, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Greenlee, among others. It was founded by Royal Little in 1923 as the Special Yarns Company, and is headquartered at the Textron Tower in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.With total revenues of...
to become Textron Lycoming and in 1995, Allied Signal acquired the Lycoming Turbine Engine Division in Stratford. By this time, employment in the plant had fallen to 2,900 people. In late 1995, Allied Signal announced that production would be shifted to its facility in Phoenix Arizona. In September 1998, Allied Signal concluded operations in the plant and returned it to the US Army. AGT1500 production was shifted by the Army to the Anniston Army Depot
Anniston Army Depot
Anniston Army Depot is a major United States Army facility fulfilling various depot operations. Primary missions are the repair of tracked vehicles and storage of chemical weapons . The depot is located in Bynum, Alabama....
(ANAD)in Anniston, Alabama
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...
.
It occupied a 124 acres (50.2 ha) tract and included 49 industrial buildings and an earthen causeway that was built 800 feet (243.8 m) into the Housatonic River mudflats to provide for access by seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s.
Because of the Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
actions of the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, closure of the plant was recommended in July 1995. The SAEP closed on 30 September 1998. For the next 11 years the Army was involved with "Team Stratford" to develop the property. The United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, which owns the 78 acres (315,655.1 m²) site, auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
ed it off on 19 March 2008 with a winning bid of $9,612,000 which also includes the 1720000 ft2 facility of over 50 buildings. This bid failed to be paid off and is now being placed for rebid. Currently Robert Hartmann of Hartmann Development has a $1 billion plan to develop the former Army engine plant into a destination resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
.
The Connecticut Air and Space Center
Connecticut Air and Space Center
The Connecticut Air and Space Center was founded by George Gunther in 1998 after the closing of the Stratford Army Engine Plant, in Stratford, Connecticut...
occupies part of the site.