Curtiss Robin

The Curtiss Robin, introduced in 1928, is an American high-wing monoplane built by the Curtiss-Robertson Airplane Manufacturing Company. The J-1 version was flown by Wrongway Corrigan who crossed the Atlantic after being refused permission to do so.

Curtiss Robin
A Curtiss Robin in The Museum of Flight, Tukwila Washington, 2011
General information
Type	Touring
Manufacturer	Curtiss-Robertson Airplane Manufacturing Company
Status	A number still flying[1]
Primary user	U. S. Private Owner Market[1]
Number built	769[1]
History
Introduction date	1928
First flight	7 August 1928[1]

Design

The Robin, a workmanlike cabin monoplane, had a wooden wing and steel tubing fuselage. The cabin accommodated three persons; two passengers were seated side-by-side behind the pilot. Early Robins were distinguished by large flat fairings over the parallel diagonal wing bracing struts; the fairings were abandoned on later versions, having been found to be ineffective in creating lift.^[1] The original landing gear had bungee rubber cord shock absorbers, later replaced by an oleo-pneumatic system; a number of Robins had twin floats added.^[2] Variants of the Robin were fitted with engines which developed 90–185 hp (67–138 kW).^[2]

Operational history

The aircraft Curtiss Robin "St. Louis" (right) during a record endurance flight 13-30 July 1929, at St. Louis, Missouri, flown by Dale Jackson and Forest O'Brine for 17 days, 12 hours, 17 minutes

A single modified Robin (with a 110 hp (82 kW) Warner R-420-1) was used by the United States Army Air Corps, and designated the XC-10. This aircraft was used in a test program for radio-controlled (and unmanned) flight.^[2]

Cuba's national airline, Compañía Nacional Cubana de Aviación Curtiss, was founded in 1929 with the Curtiss-Wright company serving as its co-founder and major investor. The airline's first aircraft was a Curtiss Robin and it was flown on domestic routes as a mail and passenger transport.

From September 1929 to May 1930 a Robin C-1 was used to deliver the McCook, Nebraska Daily Gazette to communities in rural Nebraska and Kansas. The airplane flew a nonstop route of 380 miles (610 km) daily, dropping bundles of newspapers from a height of 500 feet (150 m) to local carriers.^[3]

A Curtiss Robin C was purchased by the Paraguayan government in 1932 for the transport squadron of its air arm. It was intensively used as a VIP transport plane and air ambulance during the Chaco War (1932–1935).

Variants (Model 50)

Data from:Curtiss aircraft : 1907-1947^[2]

Challenger Robin

(Model 50A) An early version of the Robin, powered by a 165 hp (123 kW) Curtiss Challenger radial piston engine.

Comet Robin

One Robin was converted by its owner in 1937, fitted with a 150 hp (110 kW) Comet 7-D radial piston engine.

Robin

(Model 50A) Prototypes and initial production aircraft powered by 90 hp (67 kW) Curtiss OX-5 engines.

Robin B

A three-seat cabin monoplane, fitted with wheel brakes and a steerable tailwheel, powered by a 90 hp (67 kW) Curtiss OX-5 V-8 engine; about 325 were built.

Robin B-2

A three-seat cabin monoplane, powered by a 150–180 hp (110–130 kW) Wright-Hisso "A","E" and "I" V-8 water-cooled piston engine.

Robin C

A three-seat cabin monoplane, powered by a 170 hp (130 kW) or 185 hp (138 kW) Curtiss Challenger radial piston engine; about 50 built.

1929 Curtis Robin C-1 used for the movie Pearl (modified with an R-680)

Robin C-1

(Model 50C) An improved version of the Robin C, powered by a 185 hp (138 kW) Curtiss Challenger radial piston engine; over 200 built.

Robin C-2

(Model 50D) A long-range version fitted with an extra fuel tank, powered by a 170 hp (130 kW) Curtiss Challenger radial piston engine; six built.

Robin 4C

(Model 50E) A four-seat version, powered by a Curtiss Challenger radial piston engine; one built.

Robin 4C-1

A three-seat version with an enlarged forward fuselage section; three built.

Robin 4C-1A

(Model 50G) Another four-seat version with an enlarged forward fuselage section; 11 built.

Robin 4C-2

A single un-certified version powered by a 225 hp (168 kW) Wright J-6-7 Whirlwind engine.

Robin CR

A one-off experimental version, fitted with a 120 hp (89 kW) Curtiss Crusader engine.

Robin J-1

(Model 50H) Powered by a 165 hp (123 kW) Wright J-6-5 Whirlwind radial piston engine; about 40 built.

Robin J-2

(Model 50I) A long-range version, with 80 US gal (67 imp gal; 300 L) fuel. Two were built

Robin J-3

A J-1 temporarily designated J-3, which reverted to the J-1 designation after being de-modified.

Robin M

A Robin B aircraft, fitted with the 115 hp (86 kW) Milwaukee Tank V-502 V-8 engine (air-cooled OX-5 conversions).

Robin W

(Model 50J) Powered by a 110 hp (82 kW) Warner Scarab radial piston engine. Only a small number were built in 1930.

The XC-10 in 1930

XC-10

One Robin W was sold to the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) and converted into an unmanned pilot-less radio-controlled test aircraft, powered by a 110 hp (82 kW) Warner R-420-1.

Operators

Military operators

 Paraguay

• Paraguayan Air Force

 United States

• United States Army Air Corps

Surviving aircraft

Curtis Robin B-2 display

Australia

• 477 – J-1 airworthy with John Graeme Vevers of Patterson Lakes, Victoria.^[4]

Brazil

• 248 – C-2 in storage at the TAM Museum in São Carlos, São Paulo.^[5]

Canada

• 405 – C-1 on display at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.^{[6][failed verification]}

Costa Rica

• C-1 on display at the Juan Santamaría International Airport domestic terminal in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Germany

• 130 – J-1 airworthy with Antique Aeroflyers in Mengen, Baden-Württemberg.^[7][8]

United States

Curtiss Robin at the Air Zoo

• 193 – B airworthy at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.^[9][10][11]
• 213 – B airworthy at the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon.^[12][13]
• 329 – B-1 on static display at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in San Diego, California.^[14]
• 337 – C-1 on static display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.^[15][16][17]
• 403 – B-2 on display at the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.^[18][19]
• 469 – C-1 on display at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.^[20][21]
• 628 – C-1 on static display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.^[22]
• 712 – 4C-1A on display at the Western North Carolina Air Museum in Hendersonville, North Carolina.^[23][24]
• 733 – J-1D on display at the Shannon Air Museum in Fredericksburg, Virginia.^[25][26] It was previously on display at the Virginia Aviation Museum.^[27]
• 737 – J-1 airworthy with Brian T. Coughlin of Cazenovia, New York.^[28] It is based at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome.^{[citation needed]}
• J-1 Ole Miss (US registration NR526N) on static display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. that set the aviation endurance record in 1935 (continuously airborne June 4-July 1), which it held for 4 years.^[29]
• On static display at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York. It has floats in place of wheeled landing gear.^[30]
• On display at the Air Zoo in Portage, Michigan.^[31][32][33]
• On display at the Eagles Mere Air Museum in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania.^[34]
• On static display at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, New York.^[35]
• On display at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum in Maryland Heights, Missouri.^[36]
• Under restoration at the Candler Field Museum in Williamson, Georgia.^[37] Now owned and operated by Capt. Buerk’s Living History Museum in New Hampshire.
• Under restoration at the Port Townsend Aero Museum in Port Townsend, Washington.^[38]

Specifications (Robin OX-5)

Curtiss Robin 3-view drawing from Aero Digest October 1928

Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947,^[2] Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1928^[39]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 2 pax / 425 lb (193 kg) payload
• Length: 25 ft 9 in (7.85 m)
• Wingspan: 41 ft 0 in (12.5 m)
• Height: 7 ft 10 in (2.4 m)
• Wing area: 262.5 sq ft (24.39 m²)
• Airfoil: Curtiss C-72^[40]
• Empty weight: 1,475 lb (669 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 2,175 lb (987 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 50 US gal (42 imp gal; 190 L) fuel; 5 US gal (4.2 imp gal; 19 L) oil
• Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss OX-5 V-8 water-cooled piston engine, 90 hp (67 kW)
• Propellers: 2-bladed fixed pitch propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 99.7 mph (160.5 km/h, 86.6 kn)
• Cruise speed: 85 mph (137 km/h, 74 kn)
  
• Landing speed: 45 mph (39 kn; 72 km/h)
• Range: 785 mi (1,263 km, 682 nmi) cruising; 580 mi (500 nmi; 930 km) at full throttle
• Service ceiling: 12,500 ft (3,800 m)
• Rate of climb: 450 ft/min (2.3 m/s)
• Time to altitude: 3,800 ft (1,200 m) in 10 minutes
• Wing loading: 8.2 lb/sq ft (40 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.0465 hp/lb (0.0764 kW/kg)

See also

Related development

• Curtiss Thrush

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of civil aircraft