T. Claude Ryan
T. Claude Ryan | |
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| Born | January 3, 1898 Parsons, Kansas, US |
| Died | September 11, 1982 (aged 84) |
| Occupation(s) | Aviator, aerospace engineer |
Tubal Claude Ryan (January 3, 1898 – September 11, 1982) was an American
Early years
Ryan began his flying career in 1917 when he enrolled in the American School of Aviation at
Ryan flew forestry patrol duty in northern California and Oregon until 1922, when he formed the Ryan Flying Company. His flying service operated in San Diego using a
Business career
Beginnings
One of Ryan's students was a wealthy young stock broker and real-estate developer named Benjamin Franklin Mahoney, with whom Ryan formed a business partnership. Ryan and Mahoney bought the Douglas Cloudster, which Bowlus modified to carry 10 passengers in comfort. The pilot and co-pilot sat side by side in an open cockpit.[3]
Ryan Airlines
The company's first production aircraft was the Ryan M-1 monoplane mail plane, which flew in 1926.[4] Working drawings were to have been provided by William J. Waterhouse and Lloyd Royer at Glendale Airport. They failed to provide a complete set, and instead built their own version, the Waterhouse Cruzair. Ryan And Bowlus completed their own plans and construction, while Jack Northrop, employed by Donald Douglas, worked weekends redesigning key aspects of the M-1.[3]: 23–30
On 30 November 1926, the Ryan-Mahoney partnership ended when Ryan sold his interest in the Ryan Flying Company and Los-Angeles-San Diego Airline. On 15 July 1927, the company was reorganized as the B. F. Mahoney Aircraft Corporation.[3]: 36–37
Ryan's role after this point is disputed,[5] but it is known that he was not present for the planning and development of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis or the related Ryan Brougham, although they were enclosed and enlarged developments of the M-1.[6][7][8][9]
The Ryan Aeronautical Corporation
On 1 May 1928, Ryan opened the Ryan Flying School in San Diego. Ryan Airport at Dutch Flats, also offered charter flights and other flying services. The names of these services became known as the T.C. Ryan Flying Service, the T.C. Ryan Flying School, and the T.C. Ryan Aeronautical Corporation.[3]: 133–134
The "new" Ryan Aeronautical Corporation
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In 1931, Ryan organized his
By June 1934, Ryan, working with engineers Millard Boyd and Will Vandermeer, had designed and built the first Ryan ST. In 1939, the US military version became the first trainer that was not a biplane.[4]
The ST was followed by S-C Sports Coupe, with an enclosed side-by-side cabin, although this didn't sell as widely and only 11 were built before the war, and the focus on the ST ended production.[4]: 130 Ryan developed the YO-51 Dragonfly for observation and liaison, but only built three.[3]: 208–210
Later, during World War II, Ryan developed the FR-1 Fireball mixed jet/piston power carrier-based fighter of which 66 were delivered to the US Navy. The XF2R-1 Dark Shark replaced the piston engine in the nose with a turboprop.[3]: 211–221
After the war, Ryan bought the
They also developed a series of experimental
In 1969, Ryan sold Ryan Aeronautical to the
Later years
After his retirement Ryan formed a new company with his son Jerome to develop and market the
Ryan died September 11, 1982, in
Honors
- 1948 - Presidential Certificate of Merit, given by President Harry S. Truman in recognition of Ryan Aeronautical's contribution to the Allied war effort
- 1958 - Horatio Alger Award
- 1965 - International Aerospace Hall of Fame inductee
- 1966 - Mr. San Diego, awarded annually by Civic Leaders of San Diego
- 1970 - Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- 1971 - Service to Aviation Award, awarded by the National Business Aircraft Show
- 1974 - National Aviation Hall of Fame inductee
- 1975 - Honorary Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots
- 1981 - Aerospace Life Achievement Award, awarded by AIAA San Diego to a living aerospace pioneer with more than fifty years' experience advancing the frontiers of aeronautics
- 1982 - Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics[14]
References
Citations
- ^ "Claude Ryan." Aerofiles. Retrieved: May 9, 2012.
- ^ "T. Claude Ryan." allstar. Retrieved: May 9, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Cassagneres, Ev (1982). The Spirit of Ryan. Blue Ridge Summit: TAB BOOKS Inc. pp. 8–14.
- ^ ISBN 9780911139204.
- ^ Cassagneres 2002, p. 44.
- ^ "Letter 01." charleslindbergh.com. Retrieved: May 9, 2012.
- ^ "Letter 02." charleslindbergh.com. Retrieved: May 9, 2012.
- ^ "Letter 03." charleslindbergh.com. Retrieved: May 9, 2012.
- ^ "Letter 04." charleslindbergh.com. Retrieved: May 9, 2012.
- ^ a b "Ryan." Archived 2007-12-23 at the Wayback Machine New Zealand Warbirds. Retrieved: May 9, 2012.
- Soaring Magazine, Soaring Society of America, November 1983, p. 126.
- ^ "Type Certificate Data Sheet No. A7NM." Federal Aviation Administration, July 1983. Retrieved: March 16, 2011.
- ^ "Type Certificate Data Sheet No. G1nm." Federal Aviation Administration, July 1983. Retrieved: March 16, 2011.
- ^ American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, San Diego Section. Archival Collection, Applications 1972-1982, San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives.
Bibliography
- Bowers, Peter M. "The Many Splendid Spirits of St. Louis." Air Progress, Volume 20, No. 6, June 1967.
- Cassagneres, Ev. The Untold Story of the Spirit of St. Louis: From the Drawing Board to the Smithsonian. New Brighton, Minnesota: Flying Book International, 2002. ISBN 0-911139-32-X.
- Hall, Nova. Spirit and Creator: The Mysterious Man Behind Lindbergh's Flight to Paris. Sheffield, Massachusetts: Safe Goods Publishing, 2003. ISBN 978-0970296443.
- Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor. These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame. Donning Co. Publishers, 2006. ISBN 978-1578643974.
External links
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