New England Air Museum Soars with History

It’s called “Through the Eyes of Igor Sikorsky.”

It’s one of several new exhibits at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Conn., and, like the others, it’s designed to be interactive and take visitors beyond static displays of aircraft — although those are still quite popular.

Sikorsky, the Russian-American aviation pioneer, is known for developing the first American helicopter, although he also developed several fixed-wing aircraft, including ocean-crossing flying boats. His story is a fascinating one, said Stephanie Abrams, president and CEO of the museum, noting that the new exhibit, like the others, is designed to take visitors beyond the aircraft themselves and tell the stories of the people who designed and built them, flew them, and made history in them.

“Every aircraft in this museum, and it’s the seventh-largest of its kind in the country, has a story — a story of human genius, of courage, of innovation,” she said. “Instead of just looking at an aircraft, we want visitors to understand the story of the men and women behind them.”

This same philosophy guided the creation of new exhibits on the Tuskegee Airmen, New England women in aviation, and the famed Kosciuszko Squadron, the Polish squadron, formed with the help of American volunteers, that fought against Russia in 1919 and against the Germans in the Battle of Britain.

Abrams explained that her father was a crew chief on a B-29 Superfortress during World War II and transferred his passion for aircraft and the people behind him to his daughter. Abrams was in the media and later produced documentary films before making a significant and rewarding career change, taking the helm at the air museum.

Since arriving four years ago, she has made significant strides in efforts to “modernize the museum, making it more interactive, creating activation, using flight simulators so people experience flight, and using augmented reality to bring history, or the future, to light.”

Her team’s efforts have helped boost visitorship at the museum, which is now averaging roughly 50,000 a year.

Those who discover this somewhat hidden gem will find these new exhibits, as well as aircraft such as the B-29, a B-25, the A-10 Thunderbolt, one of Sikorsky’s flying boats, the Lockheed Electra, the plane flown by Amelia Earhart, several helicopters, and more, as well as engines and other displays.

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn more at www.neam.org.

—George O’Brien