By Randy Malmstrom
Ryan ST-A Special. My photos at the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon.
Editor’s notes: The Ryan ST (ST for “Sport Trainer”) was a light two-seat monoplane built by the Ryan Aeronautical Company of San Diego, California, and was designed to be used for flight training. First flown on June 8, 1934, many aircraft of the ST series were used by civilian flying schools or sold to private pilots, while others were constructed as military trainers, many of which were exported to foreign countries such as Bolivia, China, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). The construction of the military STs led to the development of dedicated military trainers derived from the Ryan ST, such as the Ryan PT-22 Recruit.
The example presently kept in airworthy condition at the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum was originally built as Ryan ST-A construction number 173 in 1937. As an ST-A, it was powered by a Menasco Pirate four-cylinder, air-cooled, inline, inverted engine with an output of 125 hp. The aircraft was reportedly flown in Mexico, but by 1968, it was registered to John Lamb, who lived near Rockford, Illinois. The aircraft was later purchased by John Dacy of Harvard, Illinois, before it was sold to Bill Rose of Barrington, Illinois. Rose and his mechanic completely tore down the aircraft and rebuilt it, as well as giving its Menasco Pirate engine a complete overhaul. Rose also added an optional front cockpit cover for flying solo. NC17368 would be one of three Ryans Rose would maintain in airworthy condition (the others being a Ryan STM NC17343 and ST-3KR N54403), and he would frequently fly his red and white Ryan to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
In July of 2001, Ryan ST-A NC17368 was acquired by Carl Terrana of Buckley, Washington, but was tragically killed in a flying accident with a scaled replica of a Hawker Hurricane the following month. The aircraft was then purchased from the Terrana estate by the Skagit Aero Education Museum (later renamed the North Cascades Vintage Aircraft Museum) of Concrete, Washington, in November 2005, and flown to the museum at Concrete Municipal Airport.
In 2017, it was announced that the museum would begin to shut down and distribute its collection to other aviation museums in the Pacific Northwest. By the summer of 2018, Ryan ST-A NC17368 was acquired by the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon, where it is maintained in airworthy condition to this day.
About the author: Randy Malmstrom grew up in a family steeped in aviation culture. His father, Bob, was still a cadet in training with the USAAF at the end of WWII, but did serve in Germany during the U.S. occupation in the immediate post-war period, where he had the opportunity to fly in a wide variety of types that flew in WWII. After returning to the States, Bob became a multi-engine aircraft sales manager and, as such, flew a wide variety of aircraft; Randy frequently accompanied him on these flights. Furthermore, Randy’s cousin, Einar Axel Malmstrom, flew P-47 Thunderbolts with the 356th FG from RAF Martlesham Heath. He was commanding this unit at the time he was shot down over France on April 24th, 1944, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. Following his repatriation at war’s end, Einar continued his military service, attaining the rank of Colonel. He was serving as Deputy Wing Commander of the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing at Great Falls AFB, MT, at the time of his death in a T-33 training accident on August 21, 1954. The base was renamed in his honor in October 1955 and continues to serve in the present USAF as home to the 341st Missile Wing. Randy’s innate interest in history in general, and aviation history in particular, plus his educational background and passion for WWII warbirds, led him down his current path of capturing detailed aircraft walk-around photos and in-depth airframe histories, recording a precise description of a particular aircraft in all aspects.
