The Descriptive Finding Guide for the Ryan Air Photographic Collection SDASM.SC.10121
AR
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
6/6/2016
2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park
San Diego 92101
Note
This is a different collection from the main Ryan collection. It was processed separately .
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
Title: Ryan Air Photographic Collection
Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10121
Physical Description:
.85 Cubic Feet
The collection is purely photographic, and contains photographs of T. Claude Ryan, corporate employees, aircraft, missiles
and drones, machinery, testing and research facilities, modular computers, flight simulators, and more. Some of the photographs
have been numerically organized by the five or six digit numbers on the backside.
This is a three box collection. Two boxes have measurements 12 ¼ x 10 ½ x 5 inches, and the third box is 12 ¼ x 10 ½ x 2 ½
inches.
Date (bulk): bulk
Abstract: This is a collection of images from Ryan Aeronautical. It focuses on Drone aircraft.
Biographical / Historical
The Ryan Aeronautical Company was founded by T. Claude Ryan in San Diego, California in 1934. Following World War II, Ryan
began to invest and research in the missile and unmanned aircraft fields.
Ryan is well known for developing the Ryan Firebee unmanned target drone, the Ryan Firebird (the first air-to-air missile),
as well as a number of experimental and research aircraft such as the V/STOL aircraft designs.
Part of Teledyne after 1969, Northrop Grumman purchased Teledyne Ryan in 1999.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to use by researchers with an appointment. Some conditions may apply.
Scope and Contents
This is a one series collection containing photographs only. Photographs are organized by subject, then by identification
number.
Related Materials
This collection has been processed seperately from the main Ryan Collection. The main Ryan collection is currently being
processed and may also contain many of the subjects/images contained in this collection.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Ryan S-T Sport Trainer
Ryan B-5 Brougham
Ryan Aeronautical Model 124/BQM-34A Firebee
Drone aircraft pilots
Drone Aircraft
Ryan Aeronautical Company
Ryan, Tubal Claude
Folder 1 – Early Days
Physical Description: This folder contains eight cardboard photographs of T. Claude Ryan, early day aircraft, and Charles Lindbergh.
Folder 2 – T. Claude Ryan Portraits/Photographs I
Physical Description: Photographs of T. Claude Ryan headshots, business portraits, with associates, and at events.
Folder 3 – T. Claude Ryan Portraits/Photographs II
Physical Description: Photographs of T. Claude Ryan headshots, business portraits, with associates, and at events.
Folder 4 – Ryan Personnel Headshots
Physical Description: Headshots of corporate personnel including Ocherman, Arthur A. “Bill” Billings, Bill Immenschuh, Frank W. Fink, Stillwagen,
J. Woodridge.
Folder 5 – Ryan Personnel Group Shots
Physical Description: This folder contains a few photographs of groups of unidentified people
Folder 6 – Ryan Family
Physical Description: Photographs of T. Claude Ryan and his wife Gladys.
Folder 7 – Testing/Research I
Physical Description: Over one hundreds photographs of machinery, experimental projects, laboratories, modular computers, experiments, equipment,
and more.
Folder 8 – Testing/Research II
Physical Description: Over one hundreds photographs of machinery, experimental projects, laboratories, modular computers, experiments, equipment,
and more.
Folder 1 – General Manufacturing
Physical Description: This folder contains photographs of industrial facilities, production, equipment, workers, projects, and more.
Folder 2 – Computation
Physical Description: This folder contains photographs of modular computers performing computations and calculations for Ryan employees.
Folder 3 – General Electric VTOL
Physical Description: This folder contains photographs of VTOL ducts. It also contains photocopied sketches of the ideal VTOL aircraft, and of various
parts.
Folder 4 – Missile Testing
Physical Description: This folder contains six photographs of a missile being built and ready to be tested, as well as a drone.
Folder 5 – Mini Wale, Solar Mirror. Ryan Wrap
Folder 8 – Quality Control
Folder 9 – Flight Simulator
Folder 10 – Doppler Planes
Folder 11 – Ryan Co. Planes
Folder 12 – Ryan (Desert) Plant Testing/Research
Folder 2 – Sonar Artist Rendering
Folder 3 – Sonar Pictures
Folder 4 – Miscellaneous Color Photos
