Ryan ST-A Special

Name: Ryan ST-A Special
Brand: A1R Design Bureau
Price: 15.49 USD
Rating: 4.4 (10 reviews)

A1R Design Bureau

STA SPECIALCLASSICSPORTTRAINERMILITARY

4.4/5 (10)

USD 15.49

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Added: December 21, 2023
Updated: October 17, 2024

The A1R Ryan ST-A Special is a two-seat, low wing monoplane. The fuselage is of monocoque-type construction employing longerons to reinforce the stressed skin at points of concentrated load - at stick control mountings, seats, floors, cockpit cutouts and at the tail section. Eight elliptical transverse bulkheads, suitably spaced, are covered with heavy gauge aluminium alloy skin.

The wings are constructed in four fabric covered sections - two stub wings and two outer panels. The outer panels are wire braced NACA airfoil, constructed of spruce spars, welded steel tube compression struts and aluminium alloy ribs. The stub wings are of welded steel tube construction, incorporating a walkway.
The landing gear is treadle type welded steel tube construction with shock absorber strut of oleo-spring type. The tail wheel is a steerable and full swiveling unit of welded steel tube construction, equipped with oleo shock strut.
ST-A Special airplane is equipped with Menasco-C4S 150 hp engine

The ST-A Special is a single-engine, two-seat, low-wing aircraft developed and produced by the Ryan Aeronautical Company of the United States. The model is a high-performance iteration of the Ryan ST, which took its maiden flight on June 8, 1934 and was introduced later that year.

During its operational tenure, the Ryan ST served both civil and military users, notably the United States Army Air Forces as a trainer. The ST-A Special was the highest performance variant and was used for aerobatics. Ryan Aeronautical manufactured a total of 1,568 ST aircraft, of which they built just ten ST-A Specials.

In the early 1930s, engineers at Ryan Aeronautical Company sought to create a standout design that would boast great performance and exceptional forgivingness. The ST, which stands for “sport trainer,” was the result. It immediately became one of the great icons of the Golden Age of Flight due to its classic looks, speed, handling, and versatility. A number of iterations were produced, including the ST-A, the “A” standing for Aerobatic. The ST-A Special features a supercharged, high-performance engine.

The ST-A Special was manufactured using a hybrid of metal, wood, and fabric. It features a strut-braced main wing with a span of 29 feet, 11 inches and an open, tandem two-seat cockpit. It measures 21 feet, 5 inches in length and stands 6 feet, 11 inches tall. It is powered by a single 150-horsepower Menasco C4S 4-cylinder piston engine that turns a fixed-pitch, 2-blade wood propeller. The ST-A Special has a range of 350 miles, a service ceiling of 20,000 feet above sea level, and a climb rate of 1,500 feet per minute. It cruises at 130 miles per hour and has a top speed of 160 mph.