Scott Butler flying Arnaldo Leon's Ryan ST-A (N7779) for it's Shuttleworth debut at Old Warden, during the Shuttleworth Season Premiere Airshow 2022. ST-A stands for Sports Trainer - Aerobatic.
Built in 1940 with construction number 476 as an ST-A, it went to the Netherlands Naval Aviation Service - Marineluchtvaartdienst (MLD) in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) as serial number S-40 and was shipped with other airframes from California to the Dutch East Indies between December 1940 and February 1941. On 17th February 1942 it was shipped with 33 other airframes to Australia on board the MS Tjinegara ahead of the Japanese advance. Once in Australia it was operated for a short time by the (MLD). Dutch flying training was then transferred to Jackson,Mississipi, USA and it and all other Ryan's in Australia were transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in August 1942, where this aircraft was allocated serial A50-31. It served with No.1 Elementary Flying Training School, RAAF based at Point Cook, Melbourne and remained there in RAAF service until April 1945. It then entered private ownership until 1961 with 6 separate owners in Australia, registered VH-AGZ. During this time it came to grief at Nurowa, New South Wales on 3rd August 1957 when it struck power lines and crashed. It was repaired with a new tail cone from c/n 448 Dutch Navy S-12 fitted and its front cockpit was reskinned. S-12 was STM-S2 c/n 448: no record of S-12 being shipped to Australia: assumed parts were among spares to Australia from NEI 2.1942. In 1969 it was exported to the USA flying as N288Y, during which time it passed through the hands of 8 different owners, was restored and re registered as N7779. The current owner acquired the aircraft in 2019 and although it remains on the US register, it's currently based with the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden in England.
It's powered by a 125 horse power Menasco Pirate C4S engine and appears to wear Netherlands Naval Aviation Service - Marineluchtvaartdienst (MLD) colours from the 1940 period, representing a Ryan S-TM floatplane aircraft coded S-11, which was flown in San Diego, California, USA before export.
The Ryan STs were a series of two seat, low-wing monoplane aircraft built in the United States by the Ryan Aeronautical Company. They were used as sport aircraft, as well as trainers by flying schools and the militaries of several countries.
(Further research/edit pending..)
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