RYAN STM-2

1934’42

Plane & Pilot

Tuesday, November 30, 1999 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Omar Filipović

Key Takeaways:

The Ryan Aeronautical Co., a successor to the company that built Charles Lindbergh's plane, was revived in 1934 after an earlier closure during the Depression.
Upon revival, the company began building the ST series of two-seat monoplanes, which included models like the ST, STA, and STA Special with different Menasco engines.
The ST series was further developed into military aircraft, such as the STM1 for Latin American countries and the STM2, which was designated the PT-20 by the U.S. Army Air Corps, with numerous aircraft of this type still active today.

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The Ryan Aeronautical Co. was a successor to the Ryan Co. that produced the airplane Charles Lindbergh used to cross the Atlantic. The company benefited from the airplane boom that followed but succumbed to the Depression in 1931. In 1934, the company was revived and began building the ST two-seat monoplane series. There were three models: the ST with a 95-hp Menasco, the STA with a 125-hp Menasco, and the STA Special with a 150-hp Menasco. For military purposes, the STM1 was built with the 150-hp engine and sold to many Latin American countries. It was followed by the STM2, which embodied several modifications specified by the U.S. Army Air Corps and was designated the PT-20. Numerous aircraft of this type are still active.