Curtiss Robin

Curtiss Robin
	A Curtis Robin in the Seattle museum of flight, 2011
Role	Touring
Manufacturer	Curtiss-Robertson Airplane Manufacturing Company
First flight	August 7, 1928
Introduction	1928
Status	A number still flying
Primary user	U. S. Private Owner Market
Number built	769
Unit cost	$7,500 U.S. Dollars (1938)

The Curtiss Robin, introduced in 1928, was a high-wing monoplane with a 90 hp (67 kW) V8 OX-5 8-cylinder engine built by the Curtiss-Robertson Airplane Manufacturing Company. It was later fitted with the more powerful Challenger engine, which developed between 170 and 185 hp (127 and 138 kW). NOTE: Model B (90 hp/67 kW Curtiss OX-5 engine), Model C-1 (185 hp/138 kW Curtiss Challenger engine), and Model J-1 (165 hp/123 kW Wright J-6 Whirlwind 5 engine)

The J-1 version was flown by Douglas Corrigan (nicknamed "Wrongway") as well as The Flying Keys.^{[citation needed]}

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 were bungee rubber cord shock absorbers, later replaced by an oleo-pneumatic system; a number of Robins had twin floats added.^{[citation needed]} The plane's payload with 50 gal (189 l) of fuel was 452 lb (205 kg); it had a cruising speed of 102 mph (164 km/h), a landing speed of 48 mph (77 km/h), a gas capacity of 50 gal/189 l (25 gal/95 l in each wing tank), its oil capacity was 5 US gal (19 l; 4 imp gal). The aircraft's price at the factory field was $7,500.

Operational history[]

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 Curtiss Aircraft serving as its co-founder and major investor. The airline's first aircraft was a Curtiss Robin; it flew 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]^[4]

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 (1923–1935).

Variants[]

Challenger Robin: 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, it was fitted with a 150 hp (112 kW) Comet radial piston engine.
Robin B: A three-seat cabin monoplane, fitted with wheel breaks and a steerable tailwheel; about 325 were built.
Robin B-2: This was a three-seat cabin monoplane, powered by a number of Wright piston engines.
Robin C: Three-seat cabin monoplane, powered by a 185 hp (138 kW) Curtiss Challenger radial piston engine; about 50 built.

CurtissRobinC1 — 1929 Curtis Robin C-1 used for the movie 'Pearl'(modified with R-680)

Robin C-1: An improved version of the Robin C, powered by a Curtiss Challenger radial piston engine; over 200 built.
Robin C-2: A long-range version fitted with an extra fuel tank, it was powered by a 170-hp (127 kW) Curtiss Challenger radial piston engine; six built.
Robin 4C: The four-seat version, powered by a Curtiss Challenger radial piston engine; one built.
Robin 4C-1: Three-seat version with an enlarged forward fuselage section; three built.
Robin 4C-1A: Another four-seat version with an enlarged forward fuselage section; 11 built.
Robin CR: One-off experimental version, fitted with a 120 hp (90 kW) Curtiss Crusader engine; one built.
Robin J-1: It was powered by a 165 hp (123 kW) Wright Whirlwind J-6-5 radial piston engine; about 40 built.
Robin J-2: A long-range version, fitted with an extra fuel tank; two built.
Robin M: The Robin B aircraft, fitted with the 115 hp (86 kW) V-502 engine.
Robin W: It was powered by a 110 hp (32 kW) Warner Scarab radial piston engine. Only a small number were built in 1930.

XC-10: One Robin W was sold to the United States Army Air Corps, it was converted into an unmanned pilotless radio-controlled test aircraft.

Operators[]

Military operators[]

Paraguay
United States

United States Army Air Corps

Survivors[]

Kermit Weeks has restored a Curtiss Robin to flying status and it is on display at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.^[5]
An apparently airworthy Robin J-1, registered VH-JUV, is at Gawler, South Australia.^[6]
Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum has a OX-5 powered Robin.^[7]
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum has a Continental R670 powered Robin.^[8]
EAA AirVenture Museum has a V-502 powered B-2 ^[9]
Western North Carolina Air Museum has a Continental R-670 powered Robin on display

Specifications (Robin OX-5)[]

Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947 ^[10]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Capacity: 2 passengers
Length: 25 ft 8½ in (7.83 m)
Wingspan: 41 ft 0 in (12.49 m)
Height: 7 ft 9½ in (2.37 m)
Wing area: 223 ft² (20.71 m²)
Empty weight: 1,472 lb (668 kg)
Loaded weight: 2,440 lb (1,107 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss OX-5 liquid-cooled V-8, 90 hp (67 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 100.5 mph (87 knots, 135 km/h)
Cruise speed: 84 mph (73 knots, 135 km/h)
Range: 480 mi (432 nmi, 772 km)
Service ceiling: 10,200 ft (3,109 m)
Rate of climb: 400 ft/min (2.0 m/s)

References[]

Notes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 Eden, Paul and Soph Moeng. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft (cover). London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.
↑ Bowers 1979, pp. 385–386.
↑ "Curtiss-Robertson Robin C-1". Museum of Flight. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
↑ Discoe, Connie Jo. "'News Boy' pilot was aviation pioneer". McCook Daily Gazette. 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
↑ [1]
↑ Bezmylov, Andrei. "Robin J-1." airliners.net, 2006. Retrieved: July 16, 2010.
↑ "1929 Curtiss Robin." Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum.
↑ "Curtiss Robin B." Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.
↑ "Curtiss-Wright Model B-2 Robin - N50H." EAA AirVenture Museum.
↑ Bowers 1979, p. 385.

Bibliography

Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947. London: Putnam, 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.

External links[]

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The original article can be found at Curtiss Robin and the edit history here.

[world-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 Eden, Paul and Soph Moeng. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft (cover). London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.

[Bowers_Curtiss_p385-6-2] Bowers 1979, pp. 385–386.

[3] "Curtiss-Robertson Robin C-1". Museum of Flight. Retrieved 2013-06-24.

[4] Discoe, Connie Jo. "'News Boy' pilot was aviation pioneer". McCook Daily Gazette. 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2013-06-24.

[5] [1]

[6] Bezmylov, Andrei. "Robin J-1." airliners.net, 2006. Retrieved: July 16, 2010.

[7] "1929 Curtiss Robin." Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum.

[8] "Curtiss Robin B." Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.

[9] "Curtiss-Wright Model B-2 Robin - N50H." EAA AirVenture Museum.

[Bowers_curtiss_p385-10] Bowers 1979, p. 385.

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