Ryan Aeronautical
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| Founded | 1934 |
|---|---|
| Founder | T. Claude Ryan |
| Defunct | 1969/1999 |
| Fate | Merged withTeledyne |
| Successor | Northrop Grumman |
| Headquarters | San Diego, California |
TheRyan Aeronautical Companywas founded byT. Claude RyaninSan Diego, California,in 1934. It became part ofTeledynein 1969, and ofNorthrop Grummanwhen the latter company purchased Ryan in 1999. Ryan built several historically and technically significant aircraft, including four innovativeV/STOLdesigns, but its most successful production aircraft was theRyan Firebeeline of unmanned drones used astarget dronesandunmanned air vehicles.[1]
History[edit]
Early history[edit]
In 1922, T.C. Ryan founded a flying service in San Diego that would lead to several aviation ventures bearing the Ryan name, includingRyan Airline Companyfounded in 1925.[2]
T.C. Ryan, whose previous companies were best known for buildingCharles Lindbergh's transatlanticSpirit of St. Louis,actually had no part in building the famous aircraft.[3][4][5][6][7][8]Ryan had been owner or partner in several previous companies, one of which also bore the name Ryan Aeronautical. TheSpirit of St. Louiswas not built by the final Ryan Aeronautical entity.[9]
The new company's first aircraft was theS-T Sport Trainer,[10]a low-wing tandem-seat monoplane with a 95 hp (71 kW)Menasco B-4 Piratestraight-4engine. Five were built before production switched to theRyan ST-A Aerobaticwith a more powerful 125 hp (93 kW)Menasco C-4in 1935. This aircraft now had enough power for aerobatic display, and it won the 1937 International Aerobatic Championships. A further improved ST-A Special was built in 1936, with a supercharged 150 hp (110 kW)Menasco C-4S.
In 1937 and 1938, a second civilian aircraft model was introduced, theS-C Sport Coupe,or SC-W with a 145 hp (108 kW)Warner Super Scarabradial engine. The SC-W was a larger three-seater aircraft with a sliding canopy and side-by-side front seating. The prototype SC-M was originally powered by aMenasco C-4inline engine, however testing revealed that more power was needed. Thirteen examples of the SC-W were built, although the last one was assembled from surplus parts decades after the initial production run was finished.
USAAC trainers[edit]
Interest from theUnited States Army Air Corpsfollowed. The Menasco engines proved unreliable, and instead Kinnerradial engineswere fitted. Aircraft were produced as the PT-16 (15 built); PT-20 (30 built); PT-21 (100 USAAF, 100 USN); and finally as the definitivePT-22 Recruit(1,048 built) ordered in 1941 as pilot training began its rapid expansion.
Ryan also pioneeredSTOLtechniques in itsYO-51 Dragonflyliaison and observation craft, but only three.[11]
Postwar[edit]
In the immediate postwar years, Ryan bought the rights to theNavionlight aircraftfromNorth American Aviation,selling it to both military and civilian customers.[11]: 222–225
Ryan became involved in the missile and unmanned aircraft fields, developing theRyan Firebeeunmanned target drone, theRyan Firebird(the first American air-to-air missile) among others, as well as a number of experimental and research aircraft.
Ryan acquired a 50% stake inContinental Motors Corporation,the aircraft-engine builder, in 1965.[12]
In the 1950s, Ryan was a pioneer in jet vertical flight with theX-13 Vertijet,a tail-sitting jet with a delta wing which was not used in production designs. In the early 1960s, Ryan built theXV-5 Vertifanfor the U.S. Army, which used wing- and nose-mounted lift vanes forV/STOLvertical flight. Other RyanV/STOLdesigns included theVZ-3 Vertiplane.[11]: 226–235
Ryan developed the highly accurate radar system used on theApollo Lunar Module.[11]: 237–238
In 1968, the company was acquired byTeledynefor $128 million and a year later became a wholly owned subsidiary of that company as Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical Company.[11]: 237
Northrop Grummanpurchased Teledyne Ryan in 1999, with the products continuing to form the core of that firm's unmanned aerial vehicle efforts.
Products[edit]
Aircraft[edit]
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan M-1 | 1926 | 36 | Mail plane |
| Ryan ST,PT-22 Recruit | 1934 | 1994 | Trainer |
| Ryan S-C | 1937 | 14 | Light passenger aircraft |
| Ryan YO-51 Dragonfly | 1940 | 3 | STOL scout |
| Ryan FR Fireball | 1944 | 66 | Piston-jet fighter |
| Ryan XF2R Dark Shark | 1946 | 1 | Turboprop fighter |
| Ryan Navion | 1948 | 1202 | Light passenger aircraft; military liaison |
| Ryan X-13 Vertijet | 1955 | 2 | Experimental vertical takeoff |
| Ryan Firebee | 1955 | xx | Target drone |
| Ryan VZ-3 Vertiplane | 1959 | 1 | Experimental V/STOL |
| Ryan Model 147 | 1960s | Drone | |
| Ryan XV-8 | 1961 | 1 | Flex wing |
| Ryan XV-5 Vertifan | 1964 | 2 | VTOL |
| Ryan AQM-91 Firefly | 1968 | 28 | Reconnaissance drone |
| Ryan YQM-98 | 1974 | Reconnaissance drone | |
| Teledyne Ryan Scarab | 1988 | Reconnaissance drone | |
| Teledyne Ryan 410 | 1988 | Reconnaissance drone | |
| BQM-145 Peregrine | 1992 | Reconnaissance drone |
Missiles[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"Ryan Aeronautical Had Big Plans for the Vertifan Jump Jet".The Drive.May 3, 2017.
- ^Gill Rob Wilson (July 1954). "Genealogy of American Aircraft".Flying Magazine.
- ^Spirit and Creator: The Mysterious Man Behind Lindbergh's Flight to Parisby Nova Hall
- ^The Untold Story of the Spirit of St. Louis by Ev Cassagneres
- ^"Image: letter_fromCal01-1939-post1970.jpg, (468 × 600 px)".charleslindbergh.Retrieved2015-09-04.
- ^"Image: letter_fromCal02-1939-post1970.jpg, (462 × 596 px)".charleslindbergh.Retrieved2015-09-04.
- ^"Image: letter_fromCal03-1939-post1970.jpg, (466 × 600 px)".charleslindbergh.Retrieved2015-09-04.
- ^"Image: letter_fromCal04-1939-post1970.jpg, (462 × 600 px)".charleslindbergh.Retrieved2015-09-04.
- ^"Photos: Ryan Field west of Tucson".Arizona Daily Star.July 19, 2018.
- ^Cassagneres, Ev (1995).The New Ryan: Development and History of the Ryan ST and SC.Eagan: Flying Books International. pp. Introduction, 1–19, 52.ISBN9780911139204.
- ^abcdeCassagneres, Ev (1982).The Spirit of Ryan.Blue Ridge Summit: TAB BOOKS Inc. pp. 208–210.
- ^Leyes, Richard A., and William A. Fleming, The History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 1999: p.143ISBN1-56347-332-1
External links[edit]
- Ryan Aeronautical – Port of San Diego
- Ryan Aeronautical Collection – San Diego Air & Space Museum
- The Ryan Aeronautical Photo Collection – Flickr
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