Curtiss Robin

The  aircraft was designed along the lines of the strut-braced monoplane formula popularised by Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis. The aircraft was ruggedly built with a view toward operation from poorly prepared airfields or pastures. The enclosed cabin provided seating for a pilot in the front and two passengers in the rear seat. The aircraft was usually equipped with either a Curtiss Challenger six-cylinder radial engine or a Wright J6-5 five-cylinder radial engine.The Challenger-powered Robin, had 185 horsepower and was capable of a maximum speed of 115 miles per hour. The aircraft was fitted with wheel brakes and a steer-able tail wheel or skid. The drag coefficient of the Robin was a very high 0.0585, which probably resulted from the very large cylinders of the exposed radial engine, the many sharp corners of the forward-facing windshield, and the relatively unfaired junctures between the multitude of struts supporting the wings and landing gear.

Length: 25 ft 10 in
Height: 7 ft 10 in
Span: 41 ft 0 in
Chord: 72 in
Wing Area: 224 sq ft
Wing Section: Curtiss C-72
Area - Airfoiled Struts: 41 sq ft

Gross Weight: 2217 lb
Empty Weight: 1480 lb
Useful Load: 737 lb
Seats:  3

Max Speed: 99 mph
Cruise Speed: 84 mph
Landing Speed: 44 mph

Climb (SL): 450 fpm
Ceiling: 10,200 ft

Powerplant: Curtiss OX-5 (90 hp)
Fuel: 50 gal

Range (50 gal): 590 sm
Range (30 gal): 380 sm

Year of Introduction: 1928