American Helicopter Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Established	October 1996
Location	1220 American Boulevard West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
Type	Aviation and History
Visitors	30,000
Founder	Bob Beggs and Peter Wright Sr.
Public transit access	SEPTA Route 92

The American Helicopter Museum & Education Center (AHMEC) is a cool place to visit! It's located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States. This museum is all about the amazing world of rotary wing aviation. That's a fancy way of saying it's about helicopters and other aircraft that fly using spinning blades.

The museum has a huge collection. You can see over 40 different types of aircraft. These include civilian and military helicopters. There are also autogyros and convertiplanes. Some of these are very early models! The museum also has a special research library. It's called the Renzo Pierpaoli Memorial Library. It's full of documents, films, and stories. Museum members can use it to learn even more.

AHMEC works hard to fix up and show off historic aircraft. They also tell the story of how helicopters began and grew. You can learn about pioneers like Harold Frederick Pitcairn and Frank Piasecki. The museum also keeps track of new developments. It shows how the U.S. helicopter industry keeps growing. You can see everything from the first rotorcraft to the newest tiltrotors. AHMEC is one of only two museums in the world that has a V-22 Osprey on display!

A Look Back: History

The American Helicopter Museum & Education Center first opened its doors in October 1996. It was started by Peter Wright. He was a veteran of the famous Flying Tigers. He also helped start Keystone Helicopter Corporation. In 2003, the Robinson Helicopter Company gave the museum a big donation of $1 million. This helped the museum grow even more.

Fun Programs and Learning

Every year, thousands of people visit the museum. This includes school groups, families, and older visitors. People of all ages come from the U.S. and other countries. They come to explore the past and future of helicopters.

Meet Stubby!

• Stubby, the educational traveling helicopter.

Stubby is a special helicopter that travels around. It visits schools, camps, and community events. It's an interactive helicopter, which means you can get hands-on with it! Friendly guides go with Stubby. They let kids sit in the cockpit. You can even try out the controls! This helps you learn how everything works. Students also learn about the hand-eye coordination needed to fly a helicopter. Stubby is a Hughes TH-55A Osage. Its rotor blades and tail are shorter. This makes it easier to move around. The museum got Stubby in 1998.

Girls in Science & Tech

• Girls in Science & Technology

This program is designed for young girls. It helps them explore science and technology. It shows them fun and exciting ways to learn. The program also helps mentor and encourage girls. It supports their future careers in technology.

Experts from different industries create and teach the lessons. The activities are made for different age groups. This project helps girls in grades 4 to 12. It focuses on their interests in engineering, computer programming, and aerospace. They also learn about math and flight. The program first focuses on four areas related to Aerospace. These are the Physics of Flight, Rotorcraft Design, Smaller Sizes and Computer Controls, and Robotic Flight.

Amazing Aircraft on Display

V-22 Osprey

Here are some of the cool aircraft you can see at the museum:

• Notable Interior Displays
  • Bell 47D-1 / H-13D Sioux
  • Bell TH-IL Huey.
  • Boeing HH-47 CSAR-X (Mockup)
  • Hughes MD 530F / MH-6J Little Bird.
  • Hughes 369 (OH-6 / OH-6A) Cayuse.
  • Piasecki PV-14 / HUP-2 Retriever.
• Exterior Displays
  • Kaman K-20 / HH-2D Seasprite.
  • Piasecki H-21 / CH-21B Workhorse.
  • Sikorsky S-61 / HH-3 Sea King.
  • Sikorsky S-62 / HH-52 Sea Guardian
  • V-22 Osprey prototype on display as an example of a military tiltrotor.

See Also

• Classic Rotors Museum, California, USA
• The Helicopter Museum, Somerset, England
• Hubschraubermuseum Bückeburg, Germany
• National Helicopter Museum, Connecticut, USA
• List of aerospace museums