Originally Posted by
elmshoot
Navion
DING! DING! DING! We have a wiener! And my future project!
Ryan Navion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation
Jump to searchNavion
Portland International Jetport, 2004.RoleLight
fixed-wing aircraftManufacturer
North American Aviation
Ryan Aeronautical
Tusco Corp.Introduction1948StatusActivePrimary users
United States Military
Private ownersNumber built2,634
[1]Variants
Camair Twin Navion
Temco D-16
Navion with a Continental IO-520 engine.
Navion with canopy opened
Ryan Navion at
Delta Air Park 1988
Navion G Rangemaster registered in France with modified fin and other enhancements
A factory restored 1947 North American Navion
[2]The
Ryan (originally North American)
Navion is a
United States single-engine, unpressurized, retractable gear, four-seat
aircraft originally designed and built by
North American Aviation in the 1940s. It was later built by
Ryan Aeronautical Company and the Tubular Steel Corporation (TUSCO). The Navion was envisioned as an aircraft that would perfectly match the expected postwar boom in civilian aviation, since it was designed along the general lines of, and by the same company which produced the
North American P-51 Mustang.
Contents
Design and development[[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Navion&action=edit§ion=1]edit]
The Navion was originally designed at the end of
World War II by
North American Aviation as the NA-143 (but produced under the NA-145 designation).
[3] It was designed for the civilian market but also attracted the interest of the
United States Army Air Forces. The Army Air Force ordered 83 of the NA-154 version, designated the
L-17A, to be used as a liaison aircraft, personnel and cargo carrier, and
trainer for the university-based
Reserve Officers Training Corps flight training program, 35 of which were later converted to
L-17C standard by the
Schweizer Aircraft Company by fitting them with L-17B model features such as an auxiliary fuel tank.
Ryan Aeronautical Company acquired the design in 1948, and built approximately 1,200 examples over the following three years. Ryan designated the aircraft the Navion A with a 205 hp (153 kW)
Continental E-185-3 or -9 and, later, the Navion B with 260 hp (194 kW) engines of either the
Lycoming GO-435-C2, or optionally the
Continental IO-470 engine. The "Navion A" became the basis for the military
L-17B.
A single
prototype Navion Model 72 was developed to compete for the US Air Force trainer aircraft procurement that was awarded to
Beechcraft and resulted in the
T-34. The prototype featured two-seat side-by-side seating, and twelve windows intended to be replaced with a bubble canopy.
[4] The Model 72 was not mass-produced but, was instead, used as flying test bed for future modifications to the Navion line.[[i]
citation needed]
TUSCO took over production of the Navion in the mid-1950s, manufacturing D, E and F models with a variety of enhancements including tip tanks and
flush rivets.
Navion Rangemaster aircraft were manufactured from 1961 to 1976. Their production followed that of earlier canopy-model Navion aircraft. In addition to the 39.5-gallon (150 litre) main fuel tanks, the Rangemasters added tip tanks with 34 gallons (128 l) each. The total fuel capacity of 107.5 gallons (407 l) gave these Navions the range for which they are named. TUSCO also introduced the Navion Rangemaster G model in 1960, which incorporated all previous advancements, replaced the Navion's sliding
canopy with a side door, enlarged the cabin, created five separate seats, and standardized use of tiptanks and larger, late-model Continental engines. An H Model was produced as well, very nearly the same as the G Model except for a few minor enhancements. The last few Navions were manufactured (all H Models) by Navion Aircraft Company during a short production run ending in 1976 during one of several attempts to restore the airplane to commercial viability.
Operational history[[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Navion&action=edit§ion=2]edit]
Ryan L-17B Navion on
USS Leyte (CV-32), 1950.Pre-World War II, light civilian aircraft such as the
Piper J-3 Cub and
Aeronca Champion typically were made of wood or steel-tube
fuselages with wooden wings. These pre-war designs were also marketed after the war, but did not sell well. While Republic offered an amphibious aircraft, the
Seabee,
Cessna offered the
195, and
Beechcraft offered by far the most successful type
Bonanza, which remains in production in 2019. All of these aircraft, including the Navion were significantly more advanced than prewar civilian aircraft and they set the stage for aircraft built from
aluminum sheets riveted to aluminum formers. It was thought that wartime pilots would come home and continue flying with their families and friends under more peaceful conditions, but the postwar boom in civilian aviation did not materialize to the extent the manufacturers envisioned.
[5]
Sales of the Navion were helped by the visibility of several celebrities who flew them, including
Veronica Lake,
Arthur Godfrey,
Mickey Rooney and
Bill Cullen. Retired
Utah Senator
Jake Garn is a current Navion owner.
Present day[[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Navion&action=edit§ion=3]edit]
As of 2010, many Navions are still flying and there is an active Navion owners community. On 18 March 2003
Sierra Hotel Aero Inc of
South St. Paul, Minnesota purchased the type certificate,
[6] design data, molds and tooling. Company stated in January 2013, that it was two to three years away from bringing the aircraft back into production.
[7] In the meantime Sierra Hotel Aero is carrying out re-manufacturing and upgrading for some owners of Navions.
[8]
A pair of highly modified Navions were flown by
Princeton University as the
Variable-Response Research Aircraft (VRA) and the
Avionics Research Aircraft (ARA).
[9] The VRA was given a pair of vertical side-force-generating surfaces mounted midway between wing roots and tips and a digital fly-by-wire (DFBW) control system, first installed in 1978, that parallels the standard Navion's mechanical control system and the fast-acting wing flaps that produce negative as well as positive lift. With these, the VRA can simulate the motions of other aircraft types through independent, closed-loop control of all the forces and moments acting on the airplane. Having completed over 20 years of research at
Princeton University's Flight Research Laboratory, the VRA and its sister ship, the Avionics Research Aircraft (which is virtually identical to the VRA but does not have side-force panels) currently are owned and operated by the
University of Tennessee Space Institute .
Variants[[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Navion&action=edit§ion=4]edit]
North American L-17A, flown by the
Commemorative Air Force,
Camarillo Airport.
A twin Navion conversionNorth American NA-143Two prototypes.
[10]North American NA-145 NavionNorth-American-built production aircraft, 1027 built.
[10]North American NA-154 NavionMilitary version for the United States Army as the L-17A, 83 built.
[10]Ryan NavionRyan-built production aircraft, 600 built.
[10]
1947 Navion ARyan Navion AImproved Navion with a 205hp Continental E-185-9 engine, 602 built.
[10]
1950 Ryan Navion BRyan Navion BModified for the higher powered 260hp Lycoming GO-435-C2 engine, also known as the
Super Navion 260, 222 built.
[10]Tusco Navion DConversion by Tulsa Manufacturing Company with a 240hp Continental IO-470-P engine and tip tanks.
[10]Tusco Navion EConversion Tulsa Manufacturing Company with a 250hp Continental IO-470-C engine and tip tanks.
[10]Tusco Navion FConversion Tulsa Manufacturing Company with a 260hp Continental IO-470-H engine and tip tanks.
[10]Navion G RangemasterRedesigned aircraft by Navion Aircraft Company with 260hp Continental IO-470H engine, integral cabin and tip tanks, 121, some built as the Rangemaster G-1 with a modified fin.
[10]Navion H RangemasterNavion G with a 285hp Continental IO-520B engine, 60 built, an additional aircraft was built by the Navion Rangemaster Aircraft Company in 1974.
[10]Ryan Model 72One Navion B was modified as two-seat trainer for a United States Navy competition with the
Temco Model 33 Plebe.
[10]
Camair Twin Naviontwin engine conversion Camair 480, 2 Continental O-470-B, 240 hp each. Camair 480C, 2 Continental IO-470- 260 hp each. 25+- built.X-16 Bi-NavionOne twin-engined (130hp Lycomings) prototype designed and built by Dauby Equipment Company in 1952, production by Riley and later by Temco.
[10]Temco Riley 55Initial version of the twin engined Navion conversion.[[i]
citation needed]
D-16 Twin NavionProduction version of the X-16 with two 150hp Lycoming O-320 engines and strengthened wings, 19 conversions by Riley and 46 by Temco.
[10]
Temco D-16AImproved D-16 conversion with two 170hp
Lycoming O-340-A1A engines, nacelle tanks and 20 gallon each tip tanks, 144 gallons fuel total. 45 conversions.
[10]Military[[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Navion&action=edit§ion=5]edit]
L-17AMilitary designation for NA-154s delivered to the United States Army, 83 built, re-designated U-18A in 1962.
[10]QL-17ASix L-17As modified by TEMCO as remote-controlled drones for the United States Air Force.
[10]L-17BMilitary designation for Ryan-built Navion As delivered to the U.S.Army, 163 built, re-designated U-18B in 1962.
[10]L-17CL-17As modified by Ryan with improved brakes and increased fuel capacity, 35 modified, re-designated U-18C in 1962.
[10]XL-17DThree former XL-22As for evaluation.
[10]XL-22ATwo Ryan-built Navion Bs for the U.S.Army, re-designated XL-17D.
[10]U-18AFormer L-17As re-designated in 1962.
[10]U-18BFormer L-17Bs re-designated in 1962.
[10]U-18CFormer L-17Cs re-designated in 1962.
[10]Operators[[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Navion&action=edit§ion=6]edit]
Civil[[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Navion&action=edit§ion=7]edit]
The Navion is popular with private individuals and companies.
Military[[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Navion&action=edit§ion=8]edit]
United StatesSpecifications (Super 260 Navion)[[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Navion&action=edit§ion=9]edit]
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1951–52
[14]
General characteristics- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 3 passengers
- Length: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
- Wingspan: 33 ft 5 in (10.19 m)
- Height: 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m)
- Wing area: 184 sq ft (17.1 m2)
- Empty weight: 1,930 lb (875 kg)
- Gross weight: 2,850 lb (1,293 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 40 US gal (33 imp gal; 150 L)
- Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming GO-435-C2 air-cooled flat-six engine, 260 hp (190 kW) (take-off power)
Performance- Maximum speed: 174 mph (280 km/h; 151 kn)
- Cruise speed: 170 mph (274 km/h; 148 kn)
- Range: 595 mi (517 nmi; 958 km)
- Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,250 ft/min (6.4 m/s)
- Take-off run: 400 ft (120 m)
- Landing run: 468 ft (143 m)
See also[[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Navion&action=edit§ion=10]edit]
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and eraRelated lists