Avco Turbine engines for aircraft and tanks. Avco president and Korean War era entrepreneur, Victor Emmanuel, re-activated the Chance-Vaught plant (United Aircraft Corporation) when it became available after post-WWII restructuring. This division of the Avco Corporation became known as Bridgeport-Lycoming. It first received a contract from the US Air Force in 1951 to manufacture the Wright R-1820 Aircraft with the 1425 horsepower reciprocating engine in the Stratford, Connecticut facility. Avco produced a variety of turbine engines used in tanks, helicopters, and airplanes. Through US military contracts, the Bridgeport-Lycoming division grew steadily during the 1950's and 1960's, at times employing well over 12,000 workers. But the size of the company's workforce was also vulnerable to the current US Military demands and government defense budgets and there were some major lay-offs during those decades. With US Army permission, Avco started to make some commercial version engines in the 1970's such as engines for helicopters used in logging. The Textron Corporation based in Providence, Rhode Island, bought Avco in 1984 and then sold the company to Allied Signal Engines in 1994. After implementing a series of lay-offs and engaging in disputes over funding for its relocation, Allied Signal has now moved all its plant operations out of state.