Allen Airways Flying Museum

The Allen Airways Flying Museum

1940 RYAN Sport Trainer Military ( STM-2)

Ryan STM in the air.
Click to enlarge

This Ryan (NX466WA) was built in 1940 under military contract with the Dutch East Indies military and was the S-30 in Java and the VH-AGR in Australia. Some were built with Edo floats and others with wheeled gear.

In 1980, Jeff Trappett from Australia called me looking for P-51 parts and ended up in San Diego on a trip. He was then in the RAAF. We talked Ryans and, he saw my Stearman PT-13D with a 225 HP Lycoming engine. As a result we began talks of a trade, the Stearman for a Ryan STM, since Jeff had two Ryan STMs. The trade was completed in 1981, and the Stearman (N5047V) became the first to go to Australia. When the Ryan arrived at Montgomery Field in San Diego, we disassembled the airplane in a hangar. Carl Hays and my late son, Chris, along with others proceeded to help restore the airplane. The Menasco C4S four cylinder, inverted engine had been re-built in Australia so we did only cosmetic work on it. Ole Fahlin of Sunnyvale, California made a new, custom wood propeller.

1940 RYAN Sport Trainer
Military ( STM-2)
Photo Larry Brooks. Click to enlarge.

The Ryan STM - NX466WA (WA stands for Willis Allen) made its first flight at Merced, California, in 1984. Since that time it has flown to the Paso Robles Ryan Fly-In, the Casa Grande, Arizona Fly-In, and Ryan Reunions in Hemet, California. It also was the star during the 50th Anniversary of the U. S. instructors who went from Pearl Harbor to Java to train the Dutch and Javanese. Five of the twelve original instructors came to the reunion as well as two widows. All who wanted to fly either went up in the STM or our PT-22 ( Ryan ST3KR - N60178). As a result of the reunion, two of the instructors donated their log books and photos from Java to AAFM.

In 2008 we trucked the Ryan up to Rick Atkin's Ragtime Aero Shop in Placerville, California. Rick completely rebuilt the Ryan. We sent the Menasco engine to Brad Ball in Santa Paula for overhaul. In September 2009 we entered the Ryan in the National Aviation Heritage Invitational competition during the Reno Air Races. Much to our surprise and thrill, the Ryan was awarded the HAP ARNOLD TROPHY for BEST WARBIRD.

In 2011, Andre Hissink, now 93 and a former student of the Ryan from Java and living in Perth, Ontario, Canada, came to see our Ryan. He proved to be a most interesting, delightful and warm man. He brought along his log book which showed he had flown S-30 (our Ryan) eight times on Java.

Comments by Bill Allen


Ryan STM with Java pilot. from left: Bill Allen; Jerry Ryan (son of T Claude Ryan (aircraft builder); Andre Hissink (age 93, Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Military Air Service. According to his log, he flew eight times in this plane.) Photo taken in 2011. Click to enlarge.	1940 RYAN Sport Trainer Military ( STM-2). "S-30" was its designation in Java. Photo Larry Brooks. Click to enlarge.

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