The story
Ryan's 1934 Sport Trainer looked like nothing else at the airfield: a gleaming bare-metal fuselage, tandem open cockpits, and flying wires singing in the slipstream. Its military versions were the first monoplane trainers the US Army Air Corps ever ordered, and the ST's descendants schooled thousands of WWII pilots as the PT-22 Recruit — 1,568 of the family built in all. Surviving civilian STs are prized by collectors.
The 'A' in ST-A stands for aerobatic: it swapped the original's 95-horsepower Menasco for a 125-horsepower one.
Quick answers
How do you identify a ST-A?
Mirror-polished bare metal, tandem open cockpits, fixed gear in teardrop wheel pants, and bracing wires running from wing to wheel. If the whole airplane is chrome, it's a Ryan.
What does a ST-A sound like?
A Menasco inline's smooth four-cylinder snarl — higher and silkier than any radial of its day.
How fast is the ST-A?
Top speed is 130 kts.
How many passengers does the ST-A carry?
Up to 1. A typical layout is 2 tandem open cockpits.
How far can the ST-A fly?
Range is about 300 nmi.
How big is the ST-A?
It is 21 ft 5 in long and 29 ft 11 in across the wings.
When did the ST-A first fly?
Its first flight was in 1934.
How many ST-As have been built?
73 built.
How rare is a ST-A in Bogey?
LEGENDARY. The top tier. Spotters plan trips around a catch like this. Your first ST-A catch is worth 1,000 points.
