REVISED: 10/28/08

Ryan, Ryan-Douglas, Ryan-Flamingo, Ryan-Standard

1922: (T Claude) Flying Co, San Diego CA. 1925: Partership with B F (Ben Franklin) Mahoney as Ryan Air Lines Inc. 1926: Acquired by B F Mahoney Aircraft Co when Ryan sold interests in Flying Co and Air Lines to his partner while retaining rights to Ryan Aeronautical Corp. 1927: Reorganized as Mahoney-Ryan Aircraft Co, San Diego. 1929: Acquired as Ryan Aircraft Div by Detroit Aircraft Corp, St Louis MO. 1934: Ryan Aeronautical Co, San Diego. July 1947: Acquired rights to North American NAvion. 1968: Acquired by Teledyne Inc as Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical. 1999: Acquired by Northrop Corp.

  Ryan B-1 Hisso [9471]
  Ryan B-1 [NC5220]
  Lindbergh Ryan B-1 [N-X-211] (art: K O Eckland)

B-1 Brougham aka Mahoney-Ryan B-1 1927 (ATC 25, 2-18) = 5pChwM; 220hp Wright J-5; span: 42'0" length: 27'9" load: 1430# v: 125/105/49 range: 700. Don Hall. Prototype had 150hp Hisso [3226]. Originally $12,200, reduced to $9,700 with J-5, and $5,750 with Hisso; POP: about 150, of which one was fitted with floats under (2-18). Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St Louis [N-X-211] was the second B-1 built (span: 46'0" length: 27'7", $10,580). The plane featured in the 1957 movie, "The Spirit of St Louis," was actually a rebuilt B-1 modified by Tallmantz Aviation of Santa Ana CA [NC7212]. Lindbergh's registration is enigmatic, indicating it was licensed in the Experimental category in April 1927. Since that B-1 was not a production aircraft, the "N-X" registration would have been consistent with the regulations; however, the X for Experimental was not officially adopted until 1929.

  Ryan B-2 at Clover Field, Santa Monica [NC3007] (K O Eckland coll)

B-2 Brougham aka Mahoney-Ryan B-2 1928 = 4pChwM; 220hp Wright J-5; span: 46'0" length: 27'9" load: 1600# v: 126/105/49 range: 700. POP: 1 as Lindbergh's personal plane for 1928 national tour [NC3007].
  Ryan B-3 Cardiff & Peacock Airlines [7735] (Tom McCart coll)

B-3 Brougham aka Mahoney-Ryan B-3/B-3A 1928 (ATC 104, 2-50, 2-105) = 5pChwM; 220hp Wright J-5; span: 42'4" length: 28'3" load: 1590# v: 126/105/50 range: 750. $12,250; POP: 9 [NC7731/7738, et al]. Improved B-2 with larger cabin and tail, swivel tailwheel, etc. Prototype [C114E] and the last four [NC7735/7738] had 300hp Wright J-6 under (2-50); (2-105) for 6p as B-3A [NC311K, NC384K]. The final one was prototype for B-5 [X8321]. During production, B F Mahoney fell ill and retired, selling interests to St Louis financiers (Detroit Aircraft).
  Ryan B-5 [NC314K] (K O Eckland coll)

B-5, -5A Brougham 1929 (ATC 142, 2-220) = 6pChwM; 300hp Wright J-6; span: 42'4" length: 28'4" load: 1749# v: 140/120/50 range: 650. $14,350; POP: 61 [NC14H/18H, NC128W, NC131W/132W, NC223M/241M, NC306K/315K, NC378K/383K, NC385K, N543N/545N, NC550N, NC8320/8321, NC8493, NC9230/9240]. (2-220) for 300hp P&W Wasp Jr [NC15H] as B-5A.
B-7 Brougham 1929 (ATC 262, 2-223) = B-5 with 420hp P&W Wasp C; span: 42'4" length: 29'11" load: 1780# v: 150/128/60 range: 500. $16,985; POP: 8 [NC549N, NC555N, NC720/721, NC723/724, et al]. (2-223) for 450hp P&W Wasp. Production transferred to Detroit in mid-1930.
C-1, -2 Foursome 1930 (ATC 346, 2-263) = 4pChwM; 225hp Wright R-760; span: 39'3" length: 27'7" load: 1217# v: 128/108/55 range: 600. $10,900, $9,985 in 1931; POP: 3 [NC556N/557N, x], of which [NC/NX557N] initially had Packard DR-980 diesel and a designation of C-2 under (2-263), lost at sea on a transatlantic flight attempt on 8/11/39, from NYC to Palestine (p: Alex Loeb, Richard Dekker). This is often thought to be a US-Costa Rica flight, which was a deception by Loeb after being denied CAA approval for a transatlantic crossing, even to the extent of painting crossed US and Costa Rican flags on the plane.
C-142 SEE Vought-Hiller-Ryan C-142.
FR-1 Fireball (Model 28) - 1pClwM rg; 1350hp Wright R-1820-56 + 1600# GE I-16 turbojet*; span: 40'0" length: 32'4" load: 1947# v (both engines): 426/399/91 v (Wright only): 295/153/x range: 1030 ceiling: 43,100' (data for FR-1). *Turbojet was added in aft fuselage after two flights with the Wright only for use in climbs and combat. First USN fighter with tricycle gear, first jet to land on a carrier.
  Ryan XFR-1 (Ryan)

XFR-1 1944 = ff: 6/25/44 (p: Robert Kerlinger). High-mounted horizontal tail. POP: 3 prototypes [48232/48234], all crashed in testing (one as FR-1), killing two test pilots, and led to strengthening modifications for the production model.

  Ryan FR-1 (Ryan)

FR-1 1945 = Production model with 1425hp R-1820 and 1600# GE J31, larger vertical fin. POP: 66 completed out of a contract for 700 [39647/39712].

FR-2, FR-3 - Development cancelled by the end of hostilities.

XFR-4 1945 = Westinghouse J34. POP: 1 modified from FR-1.

  Ryan XF2R-1 [39661] (Ryan via Peter M Bowers)

F2R Dark Shark 1946 = XFR-1 with GE XT31-GE-2 turboprop in the nose replacing the Wright and 1600# J31-GE-3 in the tail; span: 42'0" length: 36'0" v: 500 ceiling: 39,100'. POP: 1 as XF2R-1 [39661].
L-10 1942 = Impressed SCW. POP: 1 [42-107412].
  Ryan L-17 (USAF Museum)
  Ryan L-17 aboard CV-116 (USN)

L-17 Navion 1948 = Military production of North American L-17A NAvion; 185hp Continental O-470; span: 33'5" length: 27'8". Production ended in 1951. Basic combat role was as recon, fire-controller, and observation under overcasts that were limiting for high-speed F-51s and -80s. In Korea, some were rigged with four wing-mounted bazookas for anti-tank combat, and little-known is that one L-17 flew from Navy escort carrier USS Badoeng Strait (CVE-116) as an observer of amphibious operations, and without arresting gear.
  Ryan L-17B at Crissy Field [48-984] (William T Larkins)

L-17B 1948 = POP: 163, of which 34 to National Guard units.

L-17C 1948 = New brakes and fuel tanks. POP: 35 conversions from North American L-17A.

XL-17D, L-22 1951 = Super Navion with 240hp Lycoming GO-435. First desiginated as L-22. POP: 3 [51-16425/12467].

L-22 SEE XL-17D.
  Ryan M-1 (AIN via Bernhard C F Klein coll)
  Ryan M-1 (Museum of Flight)

M-1 1926 = 2-3pOhwM; 150hp Hisso A and others; span: 36'0" length: 23'11" v: 130/115/45. First Ryan design; ff: 2/14/26. Hawley Bowlus, W A Mankey, John NOrthrop, based on Waterhouse Cruzair plans (William Waterhouse). M-1s that used a water-cooled Hisso or OX had radiators located in front of the wing spar, but some used the later configuration of a radiator in a chin position under the cowling. $3,750 with Hisso and to $8,100 with 220hp Wright J-5; POP: 16 [81, 203, 1161, 1609, 1778, 2068/2069, 2070/2073, 2532, 3252, 4281, 4327, x]. First plane for Pacific Air Transport (PAT), which became United Air Lines.

Spars were very heavy in the first wings but that was fixed by Douglas engineers Art Mankey and Jack Northrop working on their off-days at the San Diego factory. History has recorded the original spars as a box design but Ryan Airlines Co engineering drawings show a slab or plank spar which would have been a much heavier than either a box or built up I-beam spar, as used in all Ryan Airlines monoplanes after the first few "M" models. Once the M-1 design was revised, the basic structure of the series remained the same with only minor changes even through the initial production of the B-1 Brougham. (— Ty Sundstrom 10/29/08)
  Ryan M-2 as passenger ship (Ty Sundstrom coll)
  Ryan M-2 Bluebird [3219] (K O Eckland coll)

M-2 Brougham, Bluebird 1927 = 1-3pOhwM mailplane, based on M-1, with new I-beam wing spar; 150hp Hisso A or 180hp Hisso E. John Northrop (wing). Bluebird was unofficial name for 5pChwM [3219] with its light-blue doped finish. POP: 18 [90, 910, 141E, 1057, 1133, 1162, 1317, 2341, 2343, 2345, 2746, 2769, 2988, 3219, 3253, 3393, 4282, 7702]. Initial production to PAT.
  Ryan Navion [N4566K] (Arthur Martin coll via WASM)

Navion A, B 1948 (ATC 782) = 4pClwM rg; 185hp Continental E-185; span: 33'5" length: 27'3" load: 1020# v: 163/155/54 range: 530-750. Edgar Schmued, as 1946 North American NAvion. $9,485. E-225 motor optional. B was 1949 upgrade with 240hp Lycoming GO-435; span: 33'5" length: 27'6" load: 953# v: 178/170/60 range: 500-750; $13,985 (?>$10,985). POP total A and B: 1238, including 197 to AF as L-17B, -17C, -17D. Subsequent manufacturing rights to Fletcher Aviation (c.1953), Navion Corp/TusCo (1955), Janox Corp (1970), Navion Rangemaster Corp (1973) and American Navion Society (c.1980); to Riley Corp (1952), Camair (1953), and TEMCO (1953) for twin conversions.
Super 260 Navion 1950 = 260hp Lycoming; v: x/170/x range: 415-595. Luxury interior, cabin cooling, exterior baggage door. POP: unknown except prototype [N5157K].
  Ryan NR-1 [4197] (Ryan)

NR Recruit 1941 = USN version of ST-3KR. POP: 100 as NR-1 [4099/4198].
  Ryan YO-51 (Ryan)
  Ryan YO-51 (John Diele coll)

O-51 Dragonfly 1941 = STOL liaison. 2pOhwM; 450hp P&W R-985; span: 52'0". Gross wt: 4206#. Full-span flaps. POP: 3 as YO-51 [40-703/705].
  Ryan PT-16 (Ryan)

PT-16 - Trainer. Stock ST-A with 125hp Menasco L-365; span: 30'0" length: 21'6" v: 128/118/40 range: 350 ceiling: 10,000'.
  Ryan YPT-16 USAFM restoration (USAF Museum)

XPT-16, YPT-16 1939 = For Army evaluation. $8,500; POP: 2 [NX18925] c/n 1000, [NX18920] c/n 1001.

XPT-16A 1940 = ST-A to Wright field for Kinner B-54 testing. POP: 1 [NC18907=39-717].

  Ryan PT-20 (Ryan)
  Ryan PT-20A (Ryan)

PT-20 1940 = MIlitary ST. POP: 1 as YPT-20 with modified Menasco C-4 and 1 as YPT-20A with Kinner B-5; 30 production as PT-20A [40-2387/2416]; 3 retained the original Menasco D-5 as PT-20B.
  Ryan PT-21 (Ryan)

PT-21 1941 = 132hp Kinner B-5 (R-440-3); faired landing gear. POP: 100 [41-1881/1980]. USN version NR-1.
  Ryan PT-22 (USAAF)

PT-22 Recruit 1941 = From ST-3KR. 160hp Kinner R-55 (R-540-1); span: 30'1" length: 22'8" load: 547# v: 128/116/54 range: 297 ceiling: 14,800'. $8500; POP: 1,023 [41-15173/15745, -20591/21040].
PT-22A 1941 = Engine mod. POP: 25 inducted from a batch of ST-3s for the Netherlands.

PT-22C 1941 = Engine mod. POP: 250 conversions from PT-22.

  Ryan PT-25 (Ryan via W T Larkins coll)

PT-25 1942 = PT-22 constructed almost entirely of plastic-bonded plywood, factory designation of ST-4. POP: 5 as YPT-25 [42-8703/8707].
  Ryan SCM [X17372] (Ryan)

SC (SC-M) 1937 (ATC 651) = 3pClwM; 150hp Menasco C-4; span: 37'6" length: 27'6" load: 815# v: 150/135/45 range: 470. Millard Boyd, Will Vandermeer. POP: 1 prototype, later modified to SC-W for testing [NX=NC17372=XACUT] c/n 201; sold in Mexico 1938, located there and bought by EAA group for restoration in 1975. SEE Ryan ST registrations.
  Ryan SCW (Dan Shumaker)

SC-W 1937 (ATC 658) = As previous, with 145hp Warner Super Scarab; span: 37'6" length: 25'5" load: 805# v: 144/135/45 range: 450 ceiling: 17,200'; ff: 8/x/37 (p: John Fornascero). POP: 14, included 1 converted from SC; 1 to USAAF as L-10. Production was curtailed by a large military order for ST trainers. SEE Ryan ST registrations.
Speedster P-2A SEE Parks P-2A.
Sportster SEE Mahoney-Ryan X-1.
  Ryan S-T [NC14223 and 14910] (Acme News via John Diele coll)

ST 1934 (ATC 541) = 2pOlwM; 95hp Menasco B-4; span: 29'11" length: 21'6" load: 543# v: 140/120/40 range: 390; ff: 6/8/34 (p: John Fornasero). Millard C Boyd, T C Ryan, Will Vandermeer. $3,895; POP: 5; [prototype X/NC14223, NC14909, NC14911, NC14985, x]. One of the all-time sportiest critters in the whole sky. SEE Ryan ST registrations.
  Ryan ST-3 (Lee Hardesty coll)

ST-3 1942 = S-T with a longer and wider fuselage, wider gear track, revised wheel fairings, new rudder design, and slightly swept-back wings; 125hp Kinner B-54. POP: 1 prototype for military trainer series.
ST-3KR 1942 (ATC 749) = 100hp Kinner R-440, finally 160hp R-55. Became NR-1, PT-21 and -22.

ST-3S 1942 = 100hp Kinner R-540. Became PT-22A and -22C.

ST-4 SEE YPT-25.
  Ryan ST-A (K O Eckland coll)
  Ryan ST-A[NC16034)

ST-A 1935 (ATC 571) = 2pOlwM; 125hp Menasco C-4; span: 29'11" length: 21'6" load: 565# v: 150/127/42 range: 350. $4,685; POP: 75. Military version was PT-16. SEE Ryan ST registrations.
  Ryan ST-A Special [NACA96] (NASA)
  Ryan ST-A Special Tex Rankin [NC16039] (William T Larkins)

ST-A Special 1936 (ATC 681, 2-522) = 150hp supercharged Menasco C-4S; v: 160/135/45 range: 340 ceiling: 21,000'. (2-522) for modification to 1p. POP: 13 [NACA96, NR16032, NC17307, NC17352, NC17359, NC17368/17369, NC18902/18906, NC18921]. ATC also covered exports.

ST-B 1935 = Built on special order for sportsman Cliff Durant, this was a 1p version of ST-A with a special long-range fuel tank in the front cockpit. POP: 1 [NC14953]. On 1/27/38, it was converted back to ST-A, and destroyed in a crash the following year.

ST-K 1940 = 125hp Kinner B-5. POP: 1 prototype for the AAF PT series.

  Ryan STM-S2

ST-M 1937 (ATC 681) = Military export version of ST-A Special. 150hp Menasco supercharged C-4S; span: 29'11" length: 21'6" load: 542# v: 160/135/45 range: 340. $5,185; POP: 34 (?>22), plus exports, some fitted with machine guns, to Bolivia (199), Ecuador (1), Guatemala (12), Honduras (3), Mexico (6), Nicaragua (141). Also 50 to China as ST-M-2E and -2P, 60 (?>91) to Dutch Army as ST-M-2, and 48 to Dutch Navy as ST-MS-2 floatplanes. Some exports later returned to USA and reverted to ST-A Specials.

ST-W 1939 = Test-beds for 125hp and 160hp Warner Scarab. POP: 2 [NX18919, NX18920].

V-5 Vertifan, VZ-11 - Army-sponsored 2pCmwM VTOL research aircraft with lifting fans buried in the wings. Two 2900# GE J85; span: 30'4" length: 45'2" v (forward): 528 (rearward): 25 (sideways): 35. Gross wt: 11,000#. Initially designated VZ-11.
  Ryan XV-5A [62-4505] (US Army Museum)

XV-5A 1964 = Made 388 flights, including full transitions from vertical to horizontal to vertical flight; ff: 5/25/64 (p: Ron Gerdes). POP: 2 [62-4505/4506], the first was destroyed in a crash.

  Ryan XV-5B [62-4506] (NASA Dryden)

XV-5B 1968 = Rebuilt and extensively modified XV-5A. POP: 1 [62-4506], later transferred to NASA as [N705NA].

V-8 1963 = 1pO flexible-wing research vehicle; 210hp Continental IO-360 pusher; span: 33'5" length: 19'6" load: 1185# v: 67/65/x range: 120 ceiling: 1500'; ff (as a powered kite): 5/x/61, (as XV-8A): 6/x/63. Delta-shaped, fabric Rogallo wing with inflatable leading edge, attached to a podlike cockpit on a tri-gear platform; V-tail. Folded into a relatively small package for transport. POP: 1 as XV-8A [63-13003]. Nicknamed "Fleep," short for "Flying Jeep."
  Ryan VZ-3 [56-6941] (Ryan via Ron Dupas coll)

VZ-3 Vertiplane 1959 = 1pChwM; 1000hp Lycoming T53-L driving two props; span: 23'5" length: 27'8" load: 850# v: 155/80/25 range: 300 ceiling: 5500'; ff: 1/x/59 (?>2/7/58). T-tail VTOL experiment had three-blade wooden props, full-span flaps that acted as slipstream deflectors. Conventional gear replaced by tri-gear for NASA flight tests. Although a credible performer, it never achieved vertical take-off. POP: 1 [56-6941], went to Ft Rucker Museum in 1963.
  Mahoney X-1 [X7621] (Northrop archives via David Hatfield)

X-1 Special aka Mahoney Doodle Bug, Sportster 1928 = Experimental lightplane. 2pOlwM; 80hp Siemens-Halske; span: 27'0" length: 22'0" v: 135. Don Hall; ff: 9/x/28 (p: Red Harrigan). Repowered with 90hp Warner Scarab as 1929 Safety Plane entry with a variable-airfoil wing ("no two ribs are alike") controlled by a lever in the cockpit. No fin or stabilizer, which were replaced by a large, moveable "stabilator" and a longitudinally-adjustable 50# weight on a track to shift the c/g. All that resulted in enough stablility problems to cancel the project. POP: 1 [X7621]. Reportedly was flown several times by Charles Lindbergh.
  Ryan X-13 with temporary landing gear [54-1619] (Ryan via AAHS)
  Ryan X-13 on its launch pad [54-1620]

X-13, X-13A Vertijet (Model 69) 1955 = Tail-sitting VTOL research vehicle; 10000# Rolls-Royce Avon; span: 21'0" length: 24'0" v: 350/x/0 ceiling: 20,000'. ff (conventional): 12/10/55, ff (as VTOL): 5/28/56 (p: P F Girard); ff (full-cycle flight): 4/11/57. POP: 2 [54-1619/1620], both were redesignated X-13A. The USAF designation of XF-109 was erroneously applied to this plane in Jane's 1955-56 first edition (later corrected as X-13) and was repeated by a few magazines, but F-109 has always been Bell's designation. Displayed at USAF Museum.
-Douglas Cloudster 1926 = 12pO/CB; 400hp Liberty 12; span: 56'0". Major redesign by Hawley Bowlus and T C Ryan for Ryan Air Lines.
  Ryan-Flamingo [NC9487] mired on the mesa

-Flamingo 1937 = Jimmie Angel's Rio Caroni [NC9487]. 4pChwM; 450hp P&W Wasp. Angel discovered the world's highest waterfall at Churun Meru in Venezuela (named Angel Falls after him) in 1933. He returned in 1937 with his wife and two passengers to search for gold and landed atop Auyantepui, a table mountain, where the plane nosed into the marshy ground. The four made their way back to civilization in 11 days, but Rio Caroni remained there for 33 years until, through efforts of the Venezuelan AF, it was salvaged by helicopter and taken to the Aviation Museum in Maracay for restoration. Declared a national monument honoring Jimmie Angel by the Venezuelan government, his ship was restored and is on display in front of the passenger terminal at Ciuidad Bolivar's airport.
  Ryan-Standard (Ryan brochure)

-Standard 1924 = 5pO/CB; 150hp Hisso A; span: 40'0". Hawley Bowlus. Cabin conversion of a war-surplus Standard J-1.