Ryan ST-A / STM family

THE AIRCRAFT

Meet Ryan ST-A / STM family

The Ryan ST family brought a streamlined metal fuselage together with open tandem cockpits and braced wings. A1R’s aircraft background describes the STM series as a military adaptation of the civilian ST-A Special, with wider cockpits for occupants wearing parachutes. The ST-A Special and STM-2 share a family origin, while military, float and long-range configurations give them different equipment and operating contexts.

Research-based aircraft backgroundA1R Design Bureau · A1R Design Bureau ↗

HOW IT CAME TO BE

History & design

From sport trainer to military service

The Ryan ST family led to military training derivatives during the late 1930s. The Army evaluated the XPT-16 in its 1939 primary-trainer competition and ordered fifteen service-evaluation YPT-16s. Changes included larger cockpit openings, a turnover mast and revised starting and braking equipment.

The STM branch went to the Netherlands East Indies with supercharged Menasco engines. Temora's preserved STM S2 was built in 1940. Its story belongs to a military derivative; the civil ST-A specifications below retain their own engine and weight figures.

Temora Aviation Museum · Ryan STM S2 ↗

UNDER THE SKIN

Systems & details

Tabs and hand-operated flaps

The historical ST-A document describes elevator tabs actuated by a cable-wound drum. That arrangement changes aerodynamic control pressure while the stick continues to operate the elevator. Its flap-position description and A1R’s later simulator tooltips count positions differently, so their named settings should be read in their own source context.

July 1940 Ryan manual transcription, with stated transcription limits.

Ryan Aeronautical Company; historical manual transcription hosted by Airminded · Ryan ST-A Operation and Service Manual — July 1940 transcription ↗

VIRTUAL VERSIONS

In your simulator

No released simulator product is listed for this aircraft in the developers reviewed. Announced products are excluded.

GO TO THE SOURCE

Manuals & resources

Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.

Aircraft background

↗Ryan ST-A Operation and Service Manual — July 1940 transcriptionRyan Aeronautical Company; historical manual transcription hosted by Airminded · July 1940 Ryan manual transcription, with stated transcription limits. ↗A1R Design BureauA1R Design Bureau · A1R ST-A / STM-2 descriptions. ↗Ryan ST-A / STM family — product pageA1R Design Bureau · Aircraft equipment and developer product details.

Aircraft documentation

↗Ryan STM S2Temora Aviation Museum · Temora Aviation Museum account of the ST-derived military trainers and its 1940 STM S2.

AIRCRAFT AND FEEL

Built-in force-feedback profiles

Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.

Catalogue programme-20261011-v3 · 4 profile choices