Ryan Navion

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).Taylor, Michael, J.H., ed. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Educational Corporation, 1980. p. 929. North American built 1,109 Navions in 1946–47, initially selling them at a below cost US$3,995, which later increased to $6,100,Garrison Flying May 1973, p. 45. although the actual cost of construction was $9,000.Huber Air & Space October–November 2008, p. 45. These included 83 L-17As for the US Army and National Guard.

Ryan Aeronautical Company acquired the design in the summer of 1947, launching production at its San Diego factory in 1948. Ryan built 1,240 Navions (powered by {{convert|205|hp|kW|abbr=on}} Continental O-470 engines or {{convert|250|hp|kW|abbr=on}} Lycoming O-435 engines), including 163 aircraft for the US armed forces, before production ended in 1951, with Ryan wanting to concentrate on defense production.Bridgman 1952, pp. 241–242.

Production rights passed to the TUSCO corporation, which flew a prototype of a revised version, the Navion Rangemaster G, on June 10, 1960, and set up the Navion Aircraft Company to build it. The Rangemaster G replaced the sliding canopy of the earlier Navions with a more conventional five seat cabin with access via car-type doors. Production began in 1961, and by mid-1962 was reported to be at a rate of 20 per month,Taylor 1962, p. 248. but Navion Aircraft Company went bankrupt,Gilbert Flying May 1966, p. 55 and the rights to the Navion were picked up by the Navion Aircraft Corporation, set up by members of the American Navion Society in mid-1965.Taylor 1969, p. 392.

File:Ryan L-17 Navion on USS Leyte 1950.jpg

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 2020. 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.Laert 1989, pp. 67–68.

The United States Army Air Force bought 83 L-17As from North American in 1946, as a liaison and staff transport aircraft, with 36 going to the Army and 47 to the National Guard. These were supplemented by 163 L-17Bs from 1948, which were ordered by the United States Air Force on behalf of the Army and National Guard, with 129 going to the Army and the rest to the National Guard. During the Korean War, the US Army's Navions added casualty evacuation and forward air controller to the aircraft's liaison and light transport duties. The Navion was phased out of front line service by 1957, with the aircraft handed over to the Civil Air Patrol or used as hacks.

{{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,[http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/8d44f5f1a44c469a86256e8b004aab96/$FILE/a-782.pdf "Aircraft specification NO. A-782 Revision 51."] Federal Aviation Administration, March 2003. Retrieved: April 18, 2010. design data, molds and tooling. The company stated in January 2013 that it was two to three years away from bringing the aircraft back into production.Wilson, Benét J. [http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2013/130129navion-new-aircraft-production.html?CMP=News:S2T "Holder of Navion type certificate targets new aircraft production."] Aopa.org, November 30, 2006. In the meantime Sierra Hotel Aero is carrying out re-manufacturing and upgrading for some owners of Navions.[http://sierrahotelaero.com/about.html "About Us"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626143728/http://sierrahotelaero.com/about.html |date=June 26, 2015 }} SierraHotelAero.com Retrieved: June 25, 2015.

File:N Am L-17 Navion.jpg, Camarillo Airport ]]

File:Twin Navion.JPG

;North American NA-143

:Two prototypes.Simpson 1991, pp. 276-278

;North American NA-145 Navion

:North-American-built production aircraft, 1,027 built.

;North American NA-154 Navion

:Military version for the United States Army as the L-17A, 83 built.

;Ryan Navion

:Ryan-built production aircraft, 600 built.

File:1947NavionA.jpg

;Ryan Navion A

:Improved Navion with a 205hp Continental E-185-9 engine, 602 built.

;Ryan Navion B

:Modified for the higher powered 260hp Lycoming GO-435-C2 engine, also known as the Super Navion 260, 222 built.

;Tusco Navion D:

:Conversion by Tulsa Manufacturing Company with a 240hp Continental IO-470-P engine and tip tanks.

;Tusco Navion E

:Conversion Tulsa Manufacturing Company with a 250hp Continental IO-470-C engine and tip tanks.

;Tusco Navion F

:Conversion Tulsa Manufacturing Company with a 260hp Continental IO-470-H engine and tip tanks.

;Navion G Rangemaster

:Redesigned 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.

;Navion H Rangemaster

:Navion G with a 285hp Continental IO-520B engine, 60 built, an additional aircraft was built by the Navion Rangemaster Aircraft Company in 1974.

;Ryan Model 72

:One Navion B was modified as two-seat trainer for a United States Navy competition with the Temco Model 33 Plebe.

;Camair Twin Navion

:twin 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-Navion

:One twin-engined (130hp Lycomings) prototype designed and built by Dauby Equipment Company in 1952, production by Riley and later by Temco.

;Temco Riley 55: Initial version of the twin engined Navion conversion.{{Citation needed|date=July 2014}}

;D-16 Twin Navion

:Production version of the X-16 with two 150hp Lycoming O-320 engines and strengthened wings, 19 conversions by Riley and 46 by Temco.

;Temco D-16A

:Improved 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.

;L-17A

:Military designation for NA-154s delivered to the United States Army, 83 built, re-designated U-18A in 1962.

;QL-17A

:Six L-17As modified by TEMCO as remote-controlled drones for the United States Air Force.

;L-17B

:Military designation for Ryan-built Navion As delivered to the U.S.Army, 163 built, re-designated U-18B in 1962.

;L-17C

:L-17As modified by Ryan with improved brakes and increased fuel capacity, 35 modified, re-designated U-18C in 1962.

;XL-17D

:Three former XL-22As for evaluation.

;XL-22A

:Two Ryan-built Navion Bs for the U.S.Army, re-designated XL-17D.

;U-18A

:Former L-17As re-designated in 1962.

;U-18B

:Former L-17Bs re-designated in 1962.

;U-18C

:Former L-17Cs re-designated in 1962.

The Navion is popular with private individuals and companies.

;{{GRC}}

• Royal Hellenic Air ForceBridgman 1951, p. 11a.

;{{US}}

• United States Air Force
• United States ArmyHarding 1990, pp. 190–191.
• Air National GuardSwanborough and Bowers 1963, p. 522.
• Massachusetts Air National GuardAAHS Journal, Spring 2004, p. 72.

{{URY}}

• Uruguayan Air Force, 5 L-17B (1949 – 1975){{Cite web |title=Memorias del Tiempo de Vuelo / Investigaciones / El Navion en el Uruguay |url=http://www.pilotoviejo.com/historianavion.htm |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=www.pilotoviejo.com}}

File:Ryan L-17 3-view line drawing.png

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1951–52Bridgman 1951, pp. 286c–287c.

|prime units?=imp

|genhide=

|crew=1

|capacity=3 passengers

|length m=

|length ft=27

|length in=6

|span m=

|span ft=33

|span in=5

|height m=

|height ft=8

|height in=8

|wing area sqm=

|wing area sqft=184

|empty weight kg=

|empty weight lb=1930

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight lb=2850

|fuel capacity={{convert|40|USgal|impgal L|abbr=on}}

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Lycoming GO-435-C2

|eng1 type=air-cooled flat-six engine

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=260

|eng1 note=(take-off power)

|prop blade number=

|prop name=

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=174

|max speed kts=

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=170

|cruise speed kts=

|range km=

|range miles=595

|range nmi=

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=18000

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=1250

|more performance=* Take-off run: {{convert|400|ft|m|abbr=on}}

• Landing run: {{convert|468|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|avionics=

}}

{{aircontent

|related=

|similar aircraft=

• Beechcraft Bonanza
• Fuji FA-200 Aero Subaru
• Messerschmitt Bf 108 / Nord 1000 Pingouin
• Meyers 200
• Mooney M20
• Orlican L-40 Meta Sokol
• Piaggio P.149
• Piper Comanche

|lists=

• List of military aircraft of the United States

|see also=

}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Refbegin}}

• Bridgman, Leonard. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1951–52. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd., 1951.
• Bridgman, Leonard. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1952–53. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd., 1952.
• Harding, Stephen. U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1990. {{ISBN|1-85310-102-8}}.
• Huber, Mark. [http://www.navion.com/uploads/5/8/8/9/58891029/air_and_space_article_accidental_classic.pdf "Accidental Classic"]. Air & Space, October–November 2008, pp. 42–47.
• Garrison, Peter. "Navion". Flying, May 1973, Vol. 92, No. 5. pp. 42–48.
• Gilbert, James. "Used Aircraft Pilot Report: The Navion". Flying, April 1966, Vol. 78, No. 4. pp. 54–58.
• Lert, Peter. "Globe/Temco Swift & Ryan Navion." Vintage Aircraft Buyer's Guide & Price Digest. Challenge Series, Volume 3, 1989.
• Ryan Aeronautical Company. Navion Operation Manual 3rd ed., February 1, 1949.
• Simpson, R.W. Airlife's General Aviation. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1991. {{ISBN|978-1-8531-0577-7}}.
• Simpson, Rod. The General Aviation Handbook. Hinckley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2005. {{ISBN|1-85780-222-5}}.
• Swanborough, F. G. and Peter M. Bowers. United States Military Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam, 1963.
• Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1962–63. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd., 1962.
• Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1969–70. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd., 1969. {{ISBN|0-354-000-519}}.
• Taylor, Michael, J.H., ed. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Educational Corporation, 1980. {{ISBN|0-7106-0710-5}}.
• Used Aircraft Guide. Norwalk, Connecticut: Aviation Consumer magazine (Belvoir Media Group LLC), 2010.
• U.S. Bureau of Aeronautics. Technical Order 1L-17A-1: Flight Handbook USAF Series L-17A, L-17B, and L-17C Aircraft, October 1, 1948.

{{Refend}}

{{Commons|Navion}}

• [http://www.navion.com Navion] - type certificate holder
• [http://www.sierrahotelaero.com Sierra Hotel Aero Inc.] - current type certificate holder
• [https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/tags/navion/ Navion photos] at San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives
• [http://www.l-17.org/ L-17.ORG] - L-17 information
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=kiEDAAAAMBAJ&dq=popular+science+September+1941&pg=PA120 Popular Science, May 1946, Junior Edition of Mustang] early article on Navion

{{Ryan aircraft}}

{{North American Aviation aircraft}}

{{USAF liaison aircraft}}

{{US utility aircraft}}

{{Authority control}}

Navion

Navion

Category:1940s United States civil utility aircraft

Category:1940s United States military utility aircraft

Category:1940s United States military trainer aircraft

Category:Low-wing aircraft

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1948

Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear