SGC-CT048-048 · Research edition September 12, 2026
A selected, source-based research collection for New Haven and Fairfield counties. Includes credited photographs where reusable images were located, historical interpretation and links to supporting records. It is a growing inventory, not an exhaustive survey. Photographs retain their individual dates and reuse terms; images do not establish present access conditions.
The story in pictures
Aerial view of the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft factory at Stratford, Connecticut (USA), in 1947
1947
Aerial view of the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft factory at Stratford, Connecticut (USA), in 1947.
Mounting of Pratt & Whitney R-985 "Wasp Junior" engines on Vought OS2U Kinfisher aircraft at the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Stratford, Connecticut (USA) in November 1940.
The plant was built in 1929 for Sikorsky aircraft manufacturing. A 1938 merger brought Vought and Sikorsky together, and the facility produced aircraft including the OS2U Kingfisher and F4U Corsair. The 1940 photographs document aircraft and engine assembly within that earlier aviation era. [CT048-S01]
The federal government purchased the property in 1951, and Avco Lycoming operated there during its engine-manufacturing era. Transfer to the Army in 1976 gave the plant its later name. Operations ended in 1998. These distinct phases connect local employment to changing defense technologies and help date photographs of the site. [CT048-S01]
The Stratford complex's successive identities give its photographs a necessary framework. A 1929 Sikorsky factory, the Vought–Sikorsky phase after 1938, and the later engine plant describe different production settings on the same property. An aircraft-assembly photograph from 1940 belongs to the aviation chapter. It should not be captioned as evidence of the later Army engine operation simply because the site eventually carried that name. [CT048-S01]
Federal purchase in 1951, Avco Lycoming's operation and transfer to the Army in 1976 connect local manufacturing to changing public ownership and defense requirements. The 1998 end of operations marks another transition, after which exterior photographs document the site's later condition. This chronology helps readers ask how buildings accommodated different technologies. It does not establish the duties of an unidentified worker or a current right to enter the property; those questions require their own sources. [CT048-S01]
Mounting of Pratt & Whitney R-985 "Wasp Junior" engines on Vought OS2U Kinfisher aircraft at the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Stratford, Connecticut (USA) in November 1940.
Includes source text where acquired. Source websites require an internet connection. OCR may contain errors; verify names and dates against the scan.
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CT048-S01 · Sources & research leads · Source reviewed September 2026
Stratford Army Engine Plant: overview and bibliography
Supporting source for the collection’s history, chronology and research notes. Aircraft manufacturing photographs preserve Stratford’s place in aviation and industrial history.
External source; the full publication remains with its publisher. The archive provides an original educational summary and a link. See the collection history for the claims supported by this record.
Credit: U.S. Navy / Public domain. Cite SGC SGC-CT048-048, CT048-P01, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
CT048-P02 · Photographs · 1940-11
Vought OS2U production 1940
Production of Vought OS2U Kingfisher seaplanes at the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Stratford, Connecticut (USA), in November 1940.
Public domain in the United States (source file license). Image supplied at web resolution; no editorial changes to the source image. 500px web thumbnail after source throttled larger image.
Credit: Jack Delano / Public domain. Cite SGC SGC-CT048-048, CT048-P02, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
CT048-P03 · Photographs · 1940-11
PW R-985 engines for Vought OS2Us 1940
Mounting of Pratt & Whitney R-985 "Wasp Junior" engines on Vought OS2U Kinfisher aircraft at the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Stratford, Connecticut (USA) in November 1940.
Public domain in the United States (source file license). Image supplied at web resolution; no editorial changes to the source image. 500px web thumbnail after source throttled larger image.
Credit: Jack Delano / Public domain. Cite SGC SGC-CT048-048, CT048-P03, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
ED-P166916743 · Photographs · 2024-09-22
Stratford Army Engine Plant (54530506217).jpg
Stratford Army Engine Plant beyond tidal marsh. Stratford Army Engine Plant
Image resized for the reading room. Source content retained. Modern waterfront condition, not aircraft manufacturing in progress. Display copy optimized for the web with proportional resizing and compression. The linked repository identifies the original image. Reuse: CC BY-SA 2.0
Credit: Ethan Long / Stratford Army Engine Plant. Cite SGC SGC-CT048-048, ED-P166916743, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
ED-P166916796 · Photographs · 2024-09-22
Stratford Army Engine Plant (54530506247).jpg
Plant exterior and perimeter fence at Stratford. Stratford Army Engine Plant
Image resized for the reading room. Source content retained. Modern exterior. Display copy optimized for the web with proportional resizing and compression. The linked repository identifies the original image. Reuse: CC BY-SA 2.0
Credit: Ethan Long / Stratford Army Engine Plant. Cite SGC SGC-CT048-048, ED-P166916796, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
ED-P166916760 · Photographs · 2024-09-22
Stratford Army Engine Plant (54530506412).jpg
Weathered waterfront plant facade at Stratford. Stratford Army Engine Plant
Image resized for the reading room. Source content retained. Distinct closer viewpoint from ED-P 166916743. Display copy optimized for the web with proportional resizing and compression. The linked repository identifies the original image. Reuse: CC BY-SA 2.0
Credit: Ethan Long / Stratford Army Engine Plant. Cite SGC SGC-CT048-048, ED-P166916760, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
ED-P166916781 · Photographs · 2024-09-22
Stratford Army Engine Plant (54530506557).jpg
Brick plant facade and chimney at Stratford. Stratford Army Engine Plant
Image resized for the reading room. Source content retained. Distinct frame from ED-P 166916796; neither is a production photograph. Display copy optimized for the web with proportional resizing and compression. The linked repository identifies the original image. Reuse: CC BY-SA 2.0
Credit: Ethan Long / Stratford Army Engine Plant. Cite SGC SGC-CT048-048, ED-P166916781, source title, page and URL; accessed 2026-09-12.
ED-P166916826 · Photographs · 2024-09-22
Stratford Army Engine Plant (54530506567).jpg
Street-facing plant building and fence at Stratford. Stratford Army Engine Plant
Image resized for the reading room. Source content retained. Modern exterior, distinct from the other four views. Display copy optimized for the web with proportional resizing and compression. The linked repository identifies the original image. Reuse: CC BY-SA 2.0
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