This aircraft originates in the North American NA145 design, created to replace cancelled military contracts at the end of World War II and satisfy the boom in postwar private flying. The NA145 low-wing light aircraft was also procured by the US military as the L-17 observer, rights were passed to Ryan in 1948. Ryan designated the standard type as Navion 205 and developed the uprated Super Navion 260 and Model H. More than 1000 of all Ryan marques were produced until the early 1950s. In 1960 the Navion Aircraft Company was formed, and it updated this design again, producing a five-seat version named the Rangemaster until 1976.