General Aviation

Ryan Navion

Manufacturer: Ryan

The Ryan Navion is a single‑engine, four‑seat aircraft that first flew in the late 1940s. Designed by North American Aviation and later produced by Ryan Aeronautical Company and TUSCO, it features retractable landing gear, an unpressurized cabin, and was intended to meet the expected postwar boom in civilian aviation.

Aircraft Facts

Type Key
ryan-navion
Class
General Aviation
Registry Count
877
Example Registration
N100DD

Specifications

Wingspan
10.19 m / 33 ft
Length
8.38 m / 27 ft
Height
2.64 m / 8 ft
Max Speed
280 km/h / 174 mph
Cruise Speed
270 km/h / 170 mph
Range
958 km / 517 nmi
Ceiling
5500 m / 18000 ft
Total Built
2634

Aircraft Overview

History

The Navion began as the NA‑143 prototype at the end of World War II and entered production as the NA‑145. North American built 1,109 units between 1946 and 1947, selling them initially for $3,995 before prices rose to $6,100. In summer 1947 Ryan acquired the design and started its own production in San Diego in 1948, building 1,240 aircraft—163 of which were supplied to U.S. armed forces—until 1951. Production rights later passed through TUSCO, Navion Aircraft Company, and other firms, but no new series entered full production after the early 1970s.

Design

The Navion’s design is a conventional low‑wing monoplane with all‑aluminum construction. It uses a single flat‑six engine—either a 205 hp Continental O‑470 or a 250 hp Lycoming O‑435—and retractable gear. The original model had a sliding canopy; later variants such as the Rangemaster G replaced it with a five‑seat cabin accessed by car‑type doors and added tip tanks for extra fuel.

Variants

Key variants include the NA‑145 (1,027 built), the military L‑17A (83) and L‑17B (163) versions, Ryan’s Navion A (205 hp Continental) and B (260 hp Lycoming) models, and TUSCO conversions D, E, and F with 240–260 hp engines and tip tanks. The Rangemaster G (121 built) featured a new cabin layout, while the H variant used a 285 hp engine. Several experimental twin‑engine conversions such as the Camair 480 and X‑16 Bi‑Navion were also produced.

Operations

The Navion served both civilian and military roles. In the U.S., it was used by the Army, Air Force, National Guard, and Civil Air Patrol for liaison, transport, casualty evacuation, and forward air control during the Korean War. International operators included Greece’s Royal Hellenic Air Force and Uruguay’s Air Force (five L‑17Bs). Today, many Navions remain in flight with an active owners community.

Notable Facts

  • The aircraft was originally designated NA‑143 during its prototype phase.
  • North American Aviation built 1,109 Navions between 1946 and 1947 at a selling price of $3,995 before it rose to $6,100.
  • Ryan Aeronautical Company produced 1,240 Navions, including 163 for U.S. armed forces, until production ceased in 1951.
  • The Rangemaster G variant introduced a five‑seat cabin with car‑type doors and tip tanks for increased fuel capacity.
  • During the Korean War, Navions were employed as casualty evacuation aircraft and forward air controllers by the U.S. Army.

Variants

  • NAVION- 201 registrations - Example N105ER
  • NAVION- 169 registrations - Example N10133
  • NAVION A- 117 registrations - Example N107S
  • NAVION A- 98 registrations - Example N10145
  • NAVION B- 68 registrations - Example N10894
  • NAVION G- 61 registrations - Example N10WD
  • NAVION A- 46 registrations - Example N1CS
  • NAVION B- 39 registrations - Example N2WD
  • NAVION H- 36 registrations - Example N1061Y
  • NAVION F- 6 registrations - Example N350FU
  • NAVION D- 5 registrations - Example N114E
  • L-17A- 3 registrations - Example N2968C
  • NAVION B- 3 registrations - Example N29P
  • NAVION B- 3 registrations - Example N4951K
  • NAVION G- 3 registrations - Example N2401T
  • NAVION L-17B- 3 registrations - Example N4951C
  • L-17B- 2 registrations - Example N7733C
  • NAVION- 2 registrations - Example N100DD
  • NAVION D- 2 registrations - Example N5167K
  • NAVION F- 2 registrations - Example N4358K
  • NAVION- 1 registrations - Example N1947U
  • NAVION A- 1 registrations - Example N7BJ
  • NAVION D- 1 registrations - Example N10JF
  • NAVION E- 1 registrations - Example N910KD
  • NAVION G- 1 registrations - Example N2482T
  • NAVION L-17A- 1 registrations - Example N109F
  • NAVION L-17B- 1 registrations - Example N6724C
  • NAVION NAV 4- 1 registrations - Example N4974W

Machine-Readable Resources

Sources