In 1922, T. Claude Ryan, an ex-Army reserve pilot, opened a flying service and school in downtown San Diego. It was one of the first government approved flight schools, allowing him to train commercial students as well as flying cadets for the Army Air Corps. In a joint effort with one of his flying students, B.F. Mahoney, Ryan created an airline service between San Diego and Los Angeles. Created in 1924, Ryan Airlines was the first U.S. airline to operate a regularly scheduled year-round service. After 18 months of accident-free service, the partners shifted their efforts to manufacturing.

The Ryan M-1, a parasol monoplane that first flew on February 14, 1926, was T. Claude Ryan’s first original design. The model powered by the Wright whirlwind engine, was the most widely produced M-1 version. Its adaptability to any one of four engines made it the most versatile aircraft of its day. Billed as “the plane that pays a profit,” the M-1 lived up to expectations, becoming the most successful commercial monoplane in the United States.

The M-1 and later improved versions carried mail, cargo and passengers. Pacific Air Transport, later part of United Air Lines, purchased seven of these aircraft.

The revolutionary design set the wing above the fuselage. The doors on the side made it easy to load passengers who sat in an open cockpit under the wing; the pilot was seated behind the two passengers. When Charles Lindbergh needed an airplane to fly nonstop from New York to Paris, the Ryan Company created the Spirit of St. Louis along the lines of the M-1, as it had already demonstrated endurance and adaptability.

The Museum’s M-1 is a replica built in 1979 by volunteer craftsmen led by Harold Hawkins. The local philanthropic organization, the Thursday Club, provided the original financial support for this effort, after the fire of 1978 had destroyed the Ryan M-1 replica being worked on at that time. The aircraft now on display, was never certified airworthy so it has no serial or registration numbers.