The museum strives to restore and display historic aircraft and chronicle the origin and development of rotary wing aircraft. The museum's exhibits chronicle the efforts of pioneers like Harold Frederick Pitcairn, Mr. W. Wallace Kellett of Kellett Autogiro, Arthur M. Young and Frank Piasecki, and today it continues to record the new and ever expanding role of the U.S. helicopter industry. The exhibits span the history of rotary wing aircraft from the earliest rotorcraft to the latest developments in tiltrotors, and AHMEC is one of only two museums in the world currently displaying a V-22 Osprey.
History
The American Helicopter Museum & Education Center opened to the public in October 1996.[5] The museum was founded by Peter Wright, a veteran of the Flying Tigers, a founder of Keystone Helicopter Corporation, and sales manager of Helicopter Air Transport.[6] In 2003, the Robinson Helicopter Company donated $1 million to the museum.[5]
Programs
Each year the Museum hosts thousands of visitors, school groups, families and senior citizens. Tourists of all ages from the U.S and abroad come here to witness the history and the future of the helicopter.
Stubby, the educational traveling helicopter.
Stubby is an interactive helicopter that travels to schools, camps and community events. Docents accompanying Stubby give kids a chance to sit in the cockpit, operate the controls and learn how each works. Students also learn about the hand-eye co-ordination necessary to fly a helicopter.[5] Stubby is a Hughes TH-55A Osage that has shortened rotor blades and tail boom to facilitate transport. It was acquired by the museum in 1998.
Girls in Science & Technology
According to a brochure,[2] the Girls in Science & Technology program engages young girls to look toward science and technology in fun and exciting ways and to mentor and encourage their future career and growth opportunities in technology.
The curriculum and guidelines are developed and taught by industry partners and stratified for appropriate age groups. The project focuses and channels the interests of grade 4 to 12 girls in the areas of engineering, computer programming, aerospace technologies, math, and flight. The initial focus of the program is four categories related to Aerospace: The Physics of Flight, Rotorcraft Design, Decreasing Size and Computerization of Controls, and Robotic Flight.
