Ryan PT22 ST-3KR on ebay

I have a PT-22 and it is a fantastic aircraft.

Very pleasant on the controls and not very challenging to fly UNLESS the engine fails. Then it is one of the most serious airplanes out there.

Very bad stall characteristics if you are not coordinated at the time.

Many people who have flown hundreds of types consider the PT-22 one of the best flying aircraft there is. I certainly agree with that statement.

Lots of engine failures and a good majority are from pilots not turning the oil shut off back on before flight. When i was restoring mine it was very easy to purchase wrecked parts airplanes as there seemed to be a good supply of insurance totals available.

Here are my flight notes I use for the PT-22

Start
1. Pull prop through
2. TURN OIL ON
3. GAS ON RESERVE
4. Pump throttle 10 times till leaks
5. Pull prop through to prime
6. Throttle cracked
7. Start on L

Run Up
1. 1200 rpm
2. Mags
3. Carb Heat

Take Off
1. Use C.I.G.A.R

Climb
1. Climb 90 to 95 mph

Cruise
1. 1650 RPM

Landing
1. 1500 rpm Carb Heat
2. 2 Notches flaps
3. Throttle 1100 rpm
4. Power off but bump it a little to not shock cool the valves
5. 90 to 95 all the way to final

Shut Down
1. 1500 rpm prop back 30 seconds
2. Fuel off 30 seconds before shut down
3. Mag ground check then pull mixture

NOTES
1. Rockers pack every 10 hours Valves ck every 10 hours
2. Oil change every 15 hours Fly with 8 quarts
3. Engine out 95 mph no flaps
4. burns 12 gph holds 25
5. Tires 25 pounds

 

Can't compare with F4U's firsthand knowledge, but thought you might be interested in this PiRep

http://www.airbum.com/pireps/PirepPT-22.html

 

I'd question the "excellent condition" when the tires are flat.

 

I saw one of those on the back of a flatbed truck trailer on I-75 north of Atlanta just a couple of weeks ago! In fact, it was headed south, towards Florida - maybe the same airplane?

 

I have flown all of the PT's and the Ryan was the most unenjoyable of the lot. To me , it never seemed to be flying but merely yanked along by the big Kinner that I also didn't like. Snaps and spins are quick and violent and you have to be on it and totally aware of what's going on. I cannot believe what a new student pilot had to face with this airplane but I know full well that it trained a lot of good pilots AND washed out a lot of those who weren't quite as skilled and aggressive as they should have been. I certainly respect Mike's comments because he appears to be the sort of pilot that is comfortable with this type of airplane. I am not but I did like flying it. I'm sure that many of those who mastered it when they were in primary probably ended up as fighter pilots because it taunted you into making a mistake so it could bite back and it did with a passion. I have some 8mm films somewhere that were taken in the winter 1964 when we were flying out of Thun Field. Mt Rainier is flying around in all directions and our nose can be seen running in good order. Re other comments about flat tires, tires can still be good if there isn't air in them. They all leak.

 

I use the same procedure pretty much except I climb out at 80 and cross the numbers on approach at 80. This airplane was built with a swept back wing designed to be unstable so that it would more adequately prepare trainees for the flight characteristics of the fighters they would soon transition to with the T-6 being the plane used after they master the PT-22.

The one in the pics looks like it has the R55 on it rather than the R56 which in my opinion does an inadequate job of lubricating the rockers on the top cylinders. I'd rather have the R55 and grease the rockers every so often, that 10 hours sounds like a good safe number.

Of all the war bird trainers I've had the privilege to fly, I like this one the best with the Stearman a close second having only about 350 hours in the two of them combined. It'll cruise about 105 at 1625 RPM and do like she's supposed to flight wise unless you get slow and uncoordinated. If you ever do, you'd better hope you're at 10,000 feet cause it sinks like a stone and will snap roll in a half a heartbeat.

Fly her correctly and know what to expect in any given situation so you stay out of the bad ones and recognize when you're in one and it's a fine flying aircraft. Don't try to haul it off the runway too soon, it's sensitive to relative wind at low speeds (takeoff) and can dip a wing (been there & done it) it's also amazing how much power the carb heat can rob on takeoff too, don't do that either, it doesn't have any "extra" horsepower. It taxi's well, lands softly with those oleo's and well, I just love the damn thing.

Adding two pumps of flaps on takeoff will shorten the roll to gain airspeed sooner especially on a grass runway but keep your hand well away from that handle as the flaps are easy to dump and are literally spring loaded to the dump position and your rear end really gets that sinking feeling when that happens, especially when you least expect it.

Tell whomever you have hand propping you that you don't throw a prop through on a Kinner like you might on a cub or something, you just get it primed good with gas dripping out the drain and get a good blade and walk it through and ARC YOUR WALK out away from the plane and ahead of it as the mag fires and it starts; that way you'll never get hit or pulled off balance.

Standing in front the good blade will be on your left nearly horizontal or maybe at 8:30 and when you pull it through, it'll fire that left mag about when the blade is at 5:00 or 4:30 and that's just about when your hand, which is trailing behind you will be letting go of it anyway and the ignition will take the prop gently out of and away from your now upturned open hand. I flew one of these with a friend half way around the state of Washington just about and had the time of my life doing it.

 

Just for the heck of it... One low level (probably on landing), one showing the sweep back on the wings, and one of me about to dive into it's annual inspection. I hate reading glasses and the need for them...
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49K seems on the cheaper side. Just from the pictures it looks like it has been restored judging by the clean cockpits. Most of the 65,000 plus airplanes have been re-skinned so that would be a question before you purchase one.

I have never been too worried about an engine that hasn't been flown in a couple of years but I would look at how long since it has been overhauled. But then again not too worried unless it has been over 25 years. Just my parameters lot of people would not be comfortable with my numbers.

Most of the fun is getting the airplane home after you buy it. If I have to truck an airplane home I round up as many friends as possible to help. You would be surprised how many will sign on for the trip. I am always sure to explain the rules first "this will be a low budget high adventure trip". Also fun to work on it for a couple days and fly it home. But as said before the PT-22 will bite hard so a good check out is a must.

 

I just looked at the auction (hadn't before) and saw there are no logbooks. Building new ones from whatever the FAA has could be pricey for a mechanic to do and then you'd still have no clue to actual time on the engine and airframe.

For it's condition and with the extra allegedly overhauled R-56 (parts as far as I'm concerned) that is still a good price even with dust all over and flat mains. I'd haul it home and overhaul that engine right off the bat no matter how good it appeared to look. That 165 HP worth of five cylinder fire breathing fury is your life. They like to blow jugs if those studs are not checked frequently and I wouldn't risk flying it home; just too many things can go wrong.

Like good ol' Chuck Yeager said, "always leave yourself a way out" and in this case, that way is on a truck & trailer while sipping coffee down the interstate with the cruise control on. If I had that extra cash laying around and a hangar I'd buy that in a heartbeat though, being an IA, I'd do all that research as a project for my own plane to rebuild the books.

 

I love how it's a "roadster", without an enclosed cockpit.
Other than ultralights and biplanes are there any newer, more modern planes with open cockpits like this?