Sig Ryan STA
I've always admired the Sig Ryan STA plane, and recently I had the good fortune to buy oneon E-bay for a tidy sum of $225.00. Now buying a NIB kit from 1971 makes one wonder if all that money that you are spending will just be for the plans and instruction booklet, after all, the wood in the kit is 41 years old! My kit arrived recently and I was eager to open it and check its contents.It was like a time capsule. I found the wood to be of the highest quality with no warping, twisting, splitting or hardening of any kind! I really couldn't believe it....
My intentions for this rather hard to find kit is to bringit out of the 70's buildtechnology and bring it into today's technology standards without changing its looksor flight characteristics. There isn't a whole lot of information out there for this type of plane for me to reference. My thoughts are to power this beauty with a DLE20 engine and get rid of all the bellcranks and install individual servosfor all the ailerons and flaps along with a pull-pull set-up on the rudder. So that's it in a nut shell, hope you enjoy the process.........
However, and probably most will disagree with me (even though my approach has proved successfull many times), when I build such a kit I try to remain faithful to the original e.g. use same or similar type of power (a DLE 20 is way overpower and out of character of this model) and I usually even use bellcranks where they were used on the original model. Keep in mind most real full size light aircraft use bellcranks so why can't a model use them successfully? of course they need to be installed and connected properly, and there are ways to do that.
Good luck and please do post a build thread with lots of photos!
It is true that the engine I am installing is overpowered for this model but with some of the modifications that I am planning and the throttle stick I will still be able to fly it "scale" and do it much cheaper than by usingglow fuel. The question of the DLE20 fitting inside of the cowl is a good one, and one that I will answer in just a moment.First thing thatI did however was to take the plans to a copier and have them duplicated, I did this for acouple ofreasons one which is obvious and the other being that I hate to build on folded plans, I much prefer rolled plans. Having done that- with plans on the work table I was able to come tothe conclusion that the DLE20, mounts and exhaust will fit under the cowl with no problems.
To fit the engine/mount combo, the firewall will need to be moved 1-5/8" back.(Pencils on the plan show original mount and future mount locations)Doing this will also solve an inherent weak point in the original build sequence which I will show in the next batch of photos to follow.
TLH101, I don't use much if any CA either. My glues of choice are Titebond II wood glue for most building and 30 minute epoxy for higher stressed areas.
What a strange turn of events, finding this thread. I remember looking through the old Sig catalogs and LHS dreaming of flying the Ryan STA with its bold front end and bright colors. Two weeks ago I went to a small swap and found not one but two models that have been on my "to build" list since my start in this hobby sometime in the mid '80s. One was the SIG Ryan STA special. The other was the Sig Liberty Sport biplane. I remember visiting the local shop and looking at both of these. Something about them just called to me but as a teenager I didn't have the money, time, or skills.
Truth be told I may not be much better off today. My last kit build was a Sig Aqua Star about four years ago and really enjoyed getting back to actual building. But I purchased both kits at bargain prices which put a smile on my face. I look forward to your thread and sharing my eventual build with my two boys ages 7 and 9. So I have been looking for information online trying to decide which kit was going to be the project for this winter. Part of the choice will depend on power. I'm thinking a Satio 90. The power and sound just seem to suit this model. My other concern is proper covering and finish. So please include details of everything you plan to do!
Count me as subscribed!
Carl
Jimmy can't wait to see some pictures of your model.... The Ryan has been a plane that many have remembered and admired, to that end why hasthere been little information on such a wonderful airplane? Hopefully through this thread we canresurrectthe Ryan and give itthe attention it deserves!
Welcome Carl and Jimmy! Carl the twokits that you found were they started or not? Nice find. I know what you mean about the Ryan bringing you back in time.
Jimmy can't wait to see some pictures of your model.... The Ryan has been a plane that many have remembered and admired, to that end why hasthere been little information on such a wonderful airplane? Hopefully through this thread we canresurrectthe Ryan and give itthe attention it deserves!
I love this plane ! I live just outside San Diego and when I go to the Aerospace Museum I always spend a lot of time in front of the Ryan they have on display. My Ryan "build" is a Great Planes "ARF Bash". Ready for paint but can't make up my mind. I want something BOLD in color rather than the military scheme. Enjoy your build ! I too will be following your progress.
Don