
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

  Date of Report: (Date of earliest event reported): May 2, 2002 (May 2, 2002)

                        ADVANCED TECHNICAL PRODUCTS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

        Delaware                       0-1298                    11-1581582
(State of Incorporation)      (Commission File Number)         (IRS Employer
                                                            Identification No.)

                         200 Mansell Ct. East, Suite 505
                             Roswell, Georgia 30076
              (Address of Registrant's principal executive offices)

                                 (770) 993-0291
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                (Not Applicable)
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

<PAGE>

ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS

     On May 2, 2002, Advanced Technical  Products,  Inc. (the "Company") entered
into an  Agreement  and Plan of  Merger  dated as of May 2,  2002  (the  "Merger
Agreement"), with General Dynamics Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("General
Dynamics") and Athena  Acquisition I  Corporation,  a Delaware  corporation  and
wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics ("Merger Subsidiary"). The Company's
board of directors  unanimously approved the Merger Agreement and its submission
to stockholders.

     Under the Merger Agreement,  each outstanding share of common stock will be
converted into the right to receive $33.50 in cash, without interest. The Merger
Agreement  provides  for the  merger  of  Merger  Subsidiary  with  and into the
Company, with the Company as the surviving corporation.

     The merger is  conditioned  upon,  among other things:  (i) approval by the
holders   of  the   Company's   common   stock,   (ii)   clearance   under   the
Hart-Scott-Rodino  Antitrust  Improvements  Act of 1976,  as amended,  and (iii)
other customary closing  conditions.  The merger is expected to close by the end
of June of this year.

     Since the board of directors unanimously approved the Merger Agreement, the
provisions  of the  Rights  Agreement  dated as of March 3,  2000,  between  the
Company and American  Stock  Transfer & Trust  Company will not be applicable to
the execution of the Merger Agreement or the closing of the related merger.

     The Merger Agreement and press release are filed as exhibits hereto and are
incorporated  herein by reference.  The description of the Merger  Agreement set
forth above does not purport to be complete  and is qualified in its entirety by
reference to the provisions of the Merger Agreement.

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS

(c)  Exhibits

     Exhibit 2.1    Agreement  and Plan of  Merger  dated as of May 2, 2002
                    among General  Dynamics  Corporation,  Athena  Acquisition I
                    Corporation and Advanced Technical Products, Inc.

     Exhibit 99.1   Press Release dated May 2, 2002.


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<PAGE>

                                    SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Date: May 2, 2002

                                      ADVANCED TECHNICAL PRODUCTS, INC.


                                      /s/ James P. Hobt
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                      James P. Hobt
                                      Vice President and Chief Financial Officer


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<PAGE>

                                INDEX OF EXHIBITS

Exhibit Number      Description
--------------      -----------

Exhibit 2.1         Agreement  and Plan of  Merger  dated as of May 2, 2002
                    among General  Dynamics  Corporation,  Athena  Acquisition I
                    Corporation and Advanced Technical Products, Inc.

Exhibit 99.1        Press Release dated May 2, 2002.


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