Ryson STP-1 Swallow

The Ryson STP-1 Swallow is an American experimental two-seat powered cruising sailplane designed and built by the Ryson Aviation Corporation to be license built by other companies.^[1]

Design and development

The design of the Swallow was started in 1970 with the prototype completed during 1971, it was test flown from 1972. The Swallow is a cantilever mid-wing monoplane, the name is derived from the distinctive tail unit, it has a pusher propeller located between twin fins and rudders. The 76 hp (57 kW) Barking converted Volkswagen motor-car engine is mounted mid-fuselage and drives the two-bladed variable-pitch fully feathering pusher propeller using a 5 ft (1.52 m) tubular shaft. To provide cooling a retractable air-scoop is mounted above the rear fuselage. The forward fuselage is an all-metal monocoque structure with the rear section made from welded steel-tube with a glassfibre covering. The all-metal single spar wing and the tandem two-seat enclosed cockpit were taken from a Schweizer SGS 2-32 glider. It has a bicycle type landing gear with outriggers on the wing tips, the nosewheel is retractable by hand and the main wheel is semi-prone and fixed.^[1]

Specifications

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1994-95^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 24 ft 4 in (7.42 m)
• Wingspan: 51 ft 4 in (17.40 m)
• Wing area: 180 ft² (16.70 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 18.05
• Empty weight: 1388 lb (629 kg)
• Gross weight: 1864 lb (845 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Barker-converted CE-2200 Volkswagen motor-car engine, 76 hp (57 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 124 mph (200 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 100 mph (161 km/h)
• Stall speed: 50 mph (80.5 km/h)
• Range: 400 miles (644 km)
• Endurance: 6+ hours
• Maximum glide ratio: 28.5:1
• Rate of climb: 180 ft/min (0.9 m/s)
• Rate of sink: 3.02 ft/min (0.92 m/s)

See also

Related lists

• List of gliders

References

Notes

Bibliography