How many Navions did Ryan build?

Short answer

Ryan built 1,240 Navions. Ryan Aeronautical Company acquired the design in the summer of 1947 and began production at its San Diego plant in 1948; of those 1,240 aircraft, 163 went to the US armed forces, and the line closed in 1951.

Published: November 5, 2026 · Updated: November 5, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

040303 rya021 Curatorial Collection Image - Model, Ryan Navion (originally North American Navion), light fixed wing aircraft; Markings- N5130K; White with dark red

A design inherited from North American

The Navion was originally designed by North American Aviation at the end of World War II under the designation NA-143, drawn along the general lines of the P-51 Mustang and by the same company that built the fighter. North American built 1,109 Navions between 1946 and 1947 and initially sold them below cost, at $3,995, a price that later rose to $6,100, while the actual cost of building one was $9,000. That figure included 83 L-17As destined for the US Army and National Guard.

Ryan's production in San Diego

Ryan Aeronautical Company acquired the design in the summer of 1947 and launched production at its San Diego plant in 1948. Ryan built 1,240 Navions, powered by 205 hp (153 kW) Continental O-470 or 250 hp (190 kW) Lycoming O-435 engines, including 163 aircraft for the US armed forces, before production ended in 1951 because the company wanted to focus on defense production.

The Navion in military hands

The US Army's Navions added casualty evacuation and forward air control to their liaison and light transport duties. The type was withdrawn from front-line service by 1957.