<PAGE>   1
                                                       Registration No.
                                                                       --------
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549
                                _______________

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                _______________

                         EDAC TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
            -----------------------------------------------------
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


         Wisconsin                                           39-1515599
   -------------------------                           ----------------------
   (State of Incorporation)                            I.R.S. Employer I.D. No.
        
   1790 New Britain Avenue, Farmington, Connecticut             06032
   ------------------------------------------------           ----------
     (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                 (Zip Code)



                             1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                             ----------------------
                            (Full title of the plan)

                         Ronald G. Popolizio, Secretary
                         Edac Technologies Corporation
                            1790 New Britain Avenue
                         Farmington, Connecticut 06032
                         -----------------------------
                    (Name and address of agent for service)

                                  860-677-2603
                                  ------------
                     (Telephone number, including area code
                              of agent for service)
                                  ------------

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                    <C>               <C>               <C>            <C>
                                                            Proposed    
                                            Proposed         maximum
                                            maximum          aggregate
  Title of Securities       Amount to       offering price   offering         Amount of
    to be registered      be registered     per share(1)     price(1)     registration fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, $.0025 par     300,000           $2.375        $712,500           $216
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(1)  For the purpose of computing the registration fee pursuant to Rule
     457(c), Edac Technologies Corporation (the "Registrant") has used the
     average bid and asked price for a share of its common stock as listed on
     the Nasdaq Small Cap Market on April 7, 1997 for the 300,000 shares
     registered hereby.


<PAGE>   2
                     PART II - INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT


Item 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

        The following documents filed with the Securities and  Exchange 
Commission (the "Commission") are incorporated herein by reference:

                (a) The Registrant's latest annual report filed pursuant to 
section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange 
Act").

                (b) All other reports filed pursuant to sections 13(a) or 15(d)
of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the Registrant's
annual report referred to in paragraph (a) above.

                (c) The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained 
in the registration statement filed pursuant to section 12 of the Exchange Act
and all amendments thereto or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
description.

                 All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the 
Registrant or the 1996 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") pursuant to sections 
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a 
post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been 
sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be 
deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the 
date of filing of such documents.

Item 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

        The Registrant's directors and officers are entitled to certain
statutory rights to be indemnified by the Registrant against certain
liabilities and expenses, provided the director or officer is either successful
in the defense  of such litigation or is otherwise determined not to have
engaged in willful misconduct, knowingly violated a criminal law, failed to
deal fairly with the Registrant or its shareholders in connection with a matter
in which the director or officer had a material conflict of interest or derived
an improper personal benefit in the performance of his duties to the 
Registrant.  The Registrant's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation,
which are incorporated by reference in Exhibit 4.1, expressly adopt these
statutory rights to indemnification.

<PAGE>   3

         Article VIII of the Registrant's By-Laws contains provisions entitling
directors and officers of the Registrant to indemnification against certain
liabilities and expenses.  Registrant's By-Laws are incorporated by reference
in Exhibit 4.2.


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Item 8.  Exhibits.
         ---------
<S>      <C>
4.1      Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation.
4.2      By-Laws.
5.1      Opinion of Reinhart, Boerner, Van Deuren, Norris & Rieselbach, s.c. 
         as to the legality of the stock being registered.
23.1     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.
24.1     Power of Attorney.
</TABLE>

Item 9.  Undertakings.
         -------------
         1.     The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes as follows:

                (a) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are 
being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement to
include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution
not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change
to such information in the Registration Statement.

                (b) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the 
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and
the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.

                (c) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective 
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the 
termination of the offering.

         2.     The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for 
purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each 
filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference
in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.


                                      2

<PAGE>   4

        3. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to
be delivered with the documents constituting a Prospectus under Form S-8 (the   
"Prospectus"), to each employee to whom the Prospectus is sent or given, a copy
of any one of the following reports unless such employee otherwise has received
a copy of such report, in which case the Registrant will furnish promptly,
without charge, a copy of such report upon written or oral request of the
employee:  (a) the Registrant's annual report to stockholders containing the
information required by Rule 14a-3(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
for its latest fiscal year; (b) the Registrant's annual report on Form 10-K for
its latest fiscal year; (c) the Registrant's latest prospectus filed pursuant
to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 that contains audited financial
statements for its latest fiscal year, provided that the financial statements
are not incorporated by reference from another filing, and provided further
that such prospectus contains substantially the information required by Rule
14a-3(b) or the registration statement is on Form SB-2; or (d) the Registrant's
effective Securities Exchange Act of 1934 registration statement on Form 10
containing audited financial statements for its latest fiscal year.  If the
last fiscal year of the Registrant has ended within 120 days prior to the use
of the Prospectus, Registrant may deliver a document containing financial
statements for the fiscal year preceding the latest fiscal year, provided that
within the 120-day period a document containing financial statements for the
latest fiscal year will be furnished to each employee.

        4. The Registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to be delivered
promptly, without charge, to each employee to whom information is required to
be delivered, upon written or oral request, a copy of the information that has
been incorporated by reference pursuant to Item 3 of Form S-8 (not including
exhibits to the information that is incorporated by reference unless such
exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into the information that
the Registration Statement incorporates).

        5. The Registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to be delivered
to all employees participating in the Plan who do not otherwise receive such
material, copies of all reports, proxy statements and other communications
distributed to its security holders generally, provided that such material is
sent or delivered no later than the time it is sent to security holders.

        6. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, 
the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and 
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification



                                      3
<PAGE>   5

against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses 
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by     
such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities
being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be
governed by the final adjudication of such issue.



                                      4
<PAGE>   6
                                   SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the 
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets 
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this 
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, 
thereunto duly authorized in the City of Farmington, State of Connecticut, on 
April 8, 1997.

                                        EDAC TECHNOLOGIES
                                        CORPORATION

                                        BY /s/  Edward J. McNerney
                                          -----------------------------
                                                Edward J. McNerney,
                                               Chief Executive Officer


                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

        KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below constitutes and appoints Edward J. McNerney and Ronald G. Popolizio, and
each of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power
of substitution and resubstitution for him and in his name, place and stead, in
any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including
post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the
same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith,
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said
attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and
every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in
person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and
agent or his substitute may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the 
capacities and on the dates indicated.


        Signature               Title               Date
        ---------               -----               ----

/s/  Edward J. McNerney    Chief Executive       April 8, 1997
-----------------------    Officer and         
     Edward J. McNerney    Director




                                      5
<PAGE>   7
  
 
        Signature               Title              Date
        ---------               -----              ----
                           
/s/ Francis W. Moskey      President, Chief 
----------------------     Operating Officer    April 8, 1997
    Francis W. Moskey      and Director

                           
/s/ Ronald G. Popolizio    Vice President-    
------------------------   Finance (Chief       April 8, 1997
    Ronald G. Popolizio    Financial and
                           Accounting Officer)
                           and Secretary

/s/ William J. Gallagher   Director
-------------------------                       April 8, 1997
    Willliam J. Gallagher


/s/ John J. DiFrancesco    Chairman and
------------------------   Director             April 8, 1997
    John J. DiFrancesco


/s/ Stephen G.W. Walk
----------------------     Director             April 8, 1997
    Stephen G.W. Walk



                                      6
<PAGE>   8
                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Exhibit No    Description                            Page
----------    -----------                            ----
   <S>        <C>                                    <C>
   4.1        Amended and Restated Articles of        *
              Incorporation

   4.2        By-Laws                                 *

   5.1        Opinion of Reinhart, Boerner,
              Van Deuren, Norris & Rieselbach, s.c.
              as to the legality of the Stock
              being registered

  23.1        Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

  24.1        Power of Attorney                       **

</TABLE>

*    Incorporated by reference to the Registrant's Form S-1 Registration
     Statement filed with the Commission on August 6, 1985.

**   Incorporated by reference to the signature page of this Registration
     Statement.
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN", "secsgml_size_bytes": 15768}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "EDAC TECHNOLOGIES CORP", "cik": "0000772572", "assigned-sic": "3724", "irs-number": "391515599", "state-of-incorporation": "WI", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-24857", "film-number": "97577441"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1790 NEW BRITAIN AVE", "city": "FARMINGTON", "state": "CT", "zip": "06034", "phone": "2036772603"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "EDAC TECHNOLOGIES CORP", "street2": "1790 NEW BRITAIN AVE", "city": "FARMINGTON", "state": "CT", "zip": "06034"}}
1
                                                       Registration No.
                                                                       --------
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549
                                _______________

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                _______________

                         EDAC TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
            -----------------------------------------------------
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

         Wisconsin                                           39-1515599
   -------------------------                           ----------------------
   (State of Incorporation)                            I.R.S. Employer I.D. No.
        
   1790 New Britain Avenue, Farmington, Connecticut             06032
   ------------------------------------------------           ----------
     (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                 (Zip Code)

                             1996 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                             ----------------------
                            (Full title of the plan)

                         Ronald G. Popolizio, Secretary
                         Edac Technologies Corporation
                            1790 New Britain Avenue
                         Farmington, Connecticut 06032
                         -----------------------------
                    (Name and address of agent for service)

                                  860-677-2603
                                  ------------
                     (Telephone number, including area code
                              of agent for service)
                                  ------------

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed    
                                            Proposed         maximum
                                            maximum          aggregate
  Title of Securities       Amount to       offering price   offering         Amount of
    to be registered      be registered     per share(1)     price(1)     registration fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, $.0025 par     300,000           $2.375        $712,500           $216
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)  For the purpose of computing the registration fee pursuant to Rule
     457(c), Edac Technologies Corporation (the "Registrant") has used the
     average bid and asked price for a share of its common stock as listed on
     the Nasdaq Small Cap Market on April 7, 1997 for the 300,000 shares
     registered hereby.
2
                     PART II - INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

        The following documents filed with the Securities and  Exchange 
Commission (the "Commission") are incorporated herein by reference:

                (a) The Registrant's latest annual report filed pursuant to 
section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange 
Act").

                (b) All other reports filed pursuant to sections 13(a) or 15(d)
of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the Registrant's
annual report referred to in paragraph (a) above.

                (c) The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained 
in the registration statement filed pursuant to section 12 of the Exchange Act
and all amendments thereto or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
description.

                 All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the 
Registrant or the 1996 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") pursuant to sections 
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a 
post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been 
sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be 
deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the 
date of filing of such documents.

Item 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

        The Registrant's directors and officers are entitled to certain
statutory rights to be indemnified by the Registrant against certain
liabilities and expenses, provided the director or officer is either successful
in the defense  of such litigation or is otherwise determined not to have
engaged in willful misconduct, knowingly violated a criminal law, failed to
deal fairly with the Registrant or its shareholders in connection with a matter
in which the director or officer had a material conflict of interest or derived
an improper personal benefit in the performance of his duties to the 
Registrant.  The Registrant's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation,
which are incorporated by reference in Exhibit 4.1, expressly adopt these
statutory rights to indemnification.
3

         Article VIII of the Registrant's By-Laws contains provisions entitling
directors and officers of the Registrant to indemnification against certain
liabilities and expenses.  Registrant's By-Laws are incorporated by reference
in Exhibit 4.2.
Item 8.  Exhibits.
         ---------
4.1      Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation.
4.2      By-Laws.
5.1      Opinion of Reinhart, Boerner, Van Deuren, Norris & Rieselbach, s.c. 
         as to the legality of the stock being registered.
23.1     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.
24.1     Power of Attorney.
Item 9.  Undertakings.
         -------------
         1.     The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes as follows:

                (a) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are 
being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement to
include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution
not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change
to such information in the Registration Statement.

                (b) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the 
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to
be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and
the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.

                (c) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective 
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the 
termination of the offering.

         2.     The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for 
purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each 
filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference
in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                                      2
4

        3. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to
be delivered with the documents constituting a Prospectus under Form S-8 (the   
"Prospectus"), to each employee to whom the Prospectus is sent or given, a copy
of any one of the following reports unless such employee otherwise has received
a copy of such report, in which case the Registrant will furnish promptly,
without charge, a copy of such report upon written or oral request of the
employee:  (a) the Registrant's annual report to stockholders containing the
information required by Rule 14a-3(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
for its latest fiscal year; (b) the Registrant's annual report on Form 10-K for
its latest fiscal year; (c) the Registrant's latest prospectus filed pursuant
to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 that contains audited financial
statements for its latest fiscal year, provided that the financial statements
are not incorporated by reference from another filing, and provided further
that such prospectus contains substantially the information required by Rule
14a-3(b) or the registration statement is on Form SB-2; or (d) the Registrant's
effective Securities Exchange Act of 1934 registration statement on Form 10
containing audited financial statements for its latest fiscal year.  If the
last fiscal year of the Registrant has ended within 120 days prior to the use
of the Prospectus, Registrant may deliver a document containing financial
statements for the fiscal year preceding the latest fiscal year, provided that
within the 120-day period a document containing financial statements for the
latest fiscal year will be furnished to each employee.

        4. The Registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to be delivered
promptly, without charge, to each employee to whom information is required to
be delivered, upon written or oral request, a copy of the information that has
been incorporated by reference pursuant to Item 3 of Form S-8 (not including
exhibits to the information that is incorporated by reference unless such
exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into the information that
the Registration Statement incorporates).

        5. The Registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to be delivered
to all employees participating in the Plan who do not otherwise receive such
material, copies of all reports, proxy statements and other communications
distributed to its security holders generally, provided that such material is
sent or delivered no later than the time it is sent to security holders.

        6. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, 
the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and 
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification

                                      3
5

against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses 
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by     
such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities
being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be
governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                      4
6
                                   SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the 
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets 
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this 
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, 
thereunto duly authorized in the City of Farmington, State of Connecticut, on 
April 8, 1997.

                                        EDAC TECHNOLOGIES
                                        CORPORATION

                                        BY /s/  Edward J. McNerney
                                          -----------------------------
                                                Edward J. McNerney,
                                               Chief Executive Officer

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

        KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below constitutes and appoints Edward J. McNerney and Ronald G. Popolizio, and
each of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power
of substitution and resubstitution for him and in his name, place and stead, in
any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including
post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the
same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith,
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said
attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and
every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in
person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and
agent or his substitute may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the 
capacities and on the dates indicated.

        Signature               Title               Date
        ---------               -----               ----

/s/  Edward J. McNerney    Chief Executive       April 8, 1997
-----------------------    Officer and         
     Edward J. McNerney    Director

                                      5
7
  
 
        Signature               Title              Date
        ---------               -----              ----
                           
/s/ Francis W. Moskey      President, Chief 
----------------------     Operating Officer    April 8, 1997
    Francis W. Moskey      and Director

                           
/s/ Ronald G. Popolizio    Vice President-    
------------------------   Finance (Chief       April 8, 1997
    Ronald G. Popolizio    Financial and
                           Accounting Officer)
                           and Secretary

/s/ William J. Gallagher   Director
-------------------------                       April 8, 1997
    Willliam J. Gallagher

/s/ John J. DiFrancesco    Chairman and
------------------------   Director             April 8, 1997
    John J. DiFrancesco

/s/ Stephen G.W. Walk
----------------------     Director             April 8, 1997
    Stephen G.W. Walk

                                      6
8
                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit No    Description                            Page
----------    -----------                            ----
4.1        Amended and Restated Articles of        *
              Incorporation

   4.2        By-Laws                                 *

   5.1        Opinion of Reinhart, Boerner,
              Van Deuren, Norris & Rieselbach, s.c.
              as to the legality of the Stock
              being registered

  23.1        Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

  24.1        Power of Attorney                       **
*    Incorporated by reference to the Registrant's Form S-1 Registration
     Statement filed with the Commission on August 6, 1985.

**   Incorporated by reference to the signature page of this Registration
     Statement.