Curtiss Robin Explained

The Curtiss Robin, introduced in 1928, was 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.

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. 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. Variants of the Robin were fitted with engines which developed .

Operational history

A single modified Robin (with a 110hp 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.

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 daily, dropping bundles of newspapers from a height of to local carriers.^[1]

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

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

Comet Robin: One Robin was converted by its owner in 1937, fitted with a Comet 7-D radial piston engine.

Robin: (Model 50A) Prototypes and initial production aircraft powered by Curtiss OX-5 engines.

Robin B: A three-seat cabin monoplane, fitted with wheel brakes and a steerable tailwheel, powered by a Curtiss OX-5 V-8 engine; about 325 were built.

Robin B-2: A three-seat cabin monoplane, powered by a Wright-Hisso "A","E" and "I" V-8 water-cooled piston engine.

Robin C: A three-seat cabin monoplane, powered by a or Curtiss Challenger radial piston engine; about 50 built.

Robin C-1: (Model 50C) An improved version of the Robin C, powered by a 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 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 Wright J-6-7 Whirlwind engine.

Robin CR: A one-off experimental version, fitted with a Curtiss Crusader engine.

Robin J-1: (Model 50H) Powered by a Wright J-6-5 Whirlwind radial piston engine; about 40 built.

Robin J-2: (Model 50I) A long-range version, with 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 Milwaukee Tank V-502 V-8 engine (air-cooled OX-5 conversions).

Robin W: (Model 50J) Powered by a 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 (USAAC) and converted into an unmanned pilot-less radio-controlled test aircraft, powered by a Warner R-420-1.

Operators

Military operators

Paraguay

• Paraguayan Air Force

• United States Army Air Corps

Surviving aircraft

Australia

• 477 – J-1 airworthy with John Graeme Vevers of Patterson Lakes, Victoria.^[2]

Brazil

• 248 – C-2 in storage at the TAM Museum in São Carlos, São Paulo.^[3]

Canada

• 405 – C-1 on display at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.^[4]

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.^{[5] [6]}

United States

• 193 – B airworthy at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.^{[7] [8] [9]}
• 213 – B airworthy at the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon.^{[10] [11]}
• 329 – B-1 on static display at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in San Diego, California.^[12]
• 337 – C-1 on static display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.^{[13] [14] [15]}
• 403 – B-2 on display at the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.^{[16] [17]}
• 469 – C-1 on display at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.^{[18] [19]}
• 628 – C-1 on static display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.^[20]
• 712 – 4C-1A on display at the Western North Carolina Air Museum in Hendersonville, North Carolina.^{[21] [22]}
• 733 – J-1D on display at the Shannon Air Museum in Fredericksburg, Virginia.^{[23] [24]} It was previously on display at the Virginia Aviation Museum.^[25]
• 737 – J-1 airworthy with Brian T. Coughlin of Cazenovia, New York.^[26] It is based at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome.
• 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.^[27]
• On static display at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York. It has floats in place of wheeled landing gear.^[28]
• On display at the Air Zoo in Portage, Michigan.^{[29] [30] [31]}
• On display at the Eagles Mere Air Museum in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania.^[32]
• On static display at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, New York.^[33]
• On display at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum in Maryland Heights, Missouri.^[34]
• Under restoration at the Candler Field Museum in Williamson, Georgia.^[35] 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.^[36]

Bibliography

• Hagedorn. Dan. Curtiss Types in Latin America. Air Enthusiast. March–May 1992. 45 . 61–77 . 0143-5450.

External links

• Virginia Aircraft Museum
• Airminded.net
• Curtiss Robin J-1 Deluxe "Ole Miss"
• https://airandspace.si.edu/collections/search/robin
• A Curtiss Robin is rebuilt from an empty frame
• A brief story of "Wrongway" Corrigan's adventure

Notes and References

1. Web site: Curtiss-Robertson Robin C-1. www.museumofflight.org. Museum of flight. 16 February 2018. en.
2. Web site: Aircraft Register Search [VH-JUV] ]. Australian Government Civil Aviation Safety Authority . 30 July 2018.
3. Web site: Airframe Dossier - CurtissB Robin, s/n R-204 FAA, c/n 248, c/r LV-FAV . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 30 July 2018.
4. Web site: Aviation . Reynolds Museum . 14 June 2020.
5. Web site: Curtiss Robin J-1 . Antique Aeroflyers . 30 July 2018 . de . 28 February 2013.
6. Web site: FAA REGISTRY [N292E] ]. Federal Aviation Administration . U.S. Department of Transportation . 30 July 2018 . 31 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180731031723/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N292E . dead .
7. Web site: 1929 Curtiss Robin . Fantasy of Flight . Fantasy of Flight . 30 July 2018.
8. Web site: Airframe Dossier - Curtiss B Robin, c/n 193, c/r N8313 . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 30 July 2018.
9. Web site: FAA REGISTRY [N8313] ]. Federal Aviation Administration . U.S. Department of Transportation . 30 July 2018 . 30 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180730234741/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N8313 . dead .
10. Web site: Curtiss Robertson Robin B . Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum . WAAAM . 30 July 2018.
11. Web site: FAA REGISTRY [N8332] ]. Federal Aviation Administration . U.S. Department of Transportation . 30 July 2018 . 30 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180730235104/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N8332 . dead .
12. Web site: Curtiss B-1 Robin . San Diego Air & Space Museum . 31 July 2018.
13. Web site: General Aviation . Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum . Evergreen Museum . 30 July 2018 .
14. Web site: Airframe Dossier - Curtiss C-1 Robin, c/r NC9283 . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 30 July 2018.
15. Web site: FAA REGISTRY [N9283] ]. Federal Aviation Administration . U.S. Department of Transportation . 30 July 2018 . 31 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180731031839/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N9283 . dead .
16. Web site: 1929 Curtiss-Wright Model B-2 Robin - N50H . EAA . EAA . 30 July 2018.
17. Web site: FAA REGISTRY [N50H] ]. Federal Aviation Administration . U.S. Department of Transportation . 30 July 2018 . 31 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180731031404/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N50H . dead .
18. Web site: Curtiss C-1 Robin . Yanks Air Museum . Yanks Air Museum . 30 July 2018 . 21 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220121143103/https://yanksair.org/collection/curtiss-c-1-robin/ . dead .
19. Web site: FAA REGISTRY [N3865B] ]. Federal Aviation Administration . U.S. Department of Transportation . 30 July 2018 . 30 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180730234932/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=3865B . dead .
20. Web site: Curtiss-Robertson Robin C-1 . The Museum of Flight . The Museum of Flight . 31 July 2018.
21. Web site: 1930 CURTISS ROBIN 4C-1A . Western North Carolina Air Museum . Western North Carolina Air Museum . 30 July 2018.
22. Web site: FAA REGISTRY [N563N] ]. Federal Aviation Administration . U.S. Department of Transportation . 30 July 2018 . 31 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180731031846/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N563N . dead .
23. News: Sullivan . Paul . Antique planes and other items coming home to Shannon Airport . 31 July 2018 . Fredericksburg.com . BH Media Group, Inc. . 15 November 2016.
24. Web site: FAA REGISTRY [N532N] ]. Federal Aviation Administration . U.S. Department of Transportation . 31 July 2018 . 31 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180731062154/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N532N . dead .
25. Web site: Virginia Aviation Museum Historic Aircraft . Virginia Aviation Museum . Virginia Aviation Museum . 31 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160512210401/http://www.vam.smv.org/pdfs/VAMHistoricAircraft.pdf . 12 May 2016.
26. Web site: FAA REGISTRY [N534N] ]. Federal Aviation Administration . U.S. Department of Transportation . 30 July 2018 . 30 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180730235109/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N534N . dead .
27. Web site: Curtiss Robin J-1 Deluxe "Ole Miss" . Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum . Smithsonian Institution . 30 July 2018 . 31 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180731093131/https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/curtiss-robin-j-1-deluxe . dead .
28. Book: Stoff . Joshua . The Historic Aircraft and Spacecraft in the Cradle of Aviation Museum . 2001 . Dover Publications . Mineola, New York . 23 .
29. Web site: East Campus Aircraft . Air Zoo . Air Zoo . 30 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180731031750/https://www.airzoo.org/page.php?page_id=109 . 31 July 2018 . dead .
30. Web site: FAA REGISTRY [N7912] ]. Federal Aviation Administration . U.S. Department of Transportation . 30 July 2018 . 31 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180731031448/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N7912 . dead .
31. News: Zerilli . Ursula . Air Zoo acquires 1928 Curtiss Robin high-wing monoplane . 30 July 2018 . MLive . Advance Local Media LLC . 4 October 2012.
32. Web site: 1928 Curtiss Robin . Eagles Mere Air Museum . Eagles Mere Air Museum . 31 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171012145144/http://eaglesmereairmuseum.org/robin.shtml . 12 October 2017.
33. Web site: Aircraft . Glenn H. Curtiss Museum . Glenn H. Curtiss Museum . 31 July 2018.
34. Web site: Museum Hangar 2 . Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum . Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum . 31 July 2018.
35. Web site: Candler Field Museum . Peach State Aerodrome . Peach State Aerodrome . 31 July 2018 . 31 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180731062515/http://www.peachstateaero.com/museum . dead .
36. Web site: 1929 Curtiss "Robin" . Port Townsend Aero Museum . 31 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150718051438/http://www.ptaeromuseum.com/aircraft_projects/curtiss_robin/curtissrobinc1.html . 18 July 2015 . dead .