The story
Curtiss-Robertson built the Robin from 1928 to ride the flying boom after Lindbergh, first powered by war-surplus OX-5 engines. It carried a pilot up front and two passengers side by side behind, and 769 were built by 1930, the most of any Curtiss aircraft between the wars. Robins were made for staying up. In 1929 the St. Louis stayed up over its namesake city for 17 days and 12 hours, and in 1935 the Key brothers kept Ole Miss aloft for 653 hours and 34 minutes, taking on supplies 432 times from another Robin.
In 1938 Douglas Corrigan filed a flight plan for California, took off from Brooklyn in his rebuilt 1929 Robin and landed in Ireland 28 hours later. He never publicly admitted it was on purpose, and he has been Wrong Way Corrigan ever since.
Quick answers
How do you identify a Curtiss Robin?
Bigger than the Cubs and Taylorcrafts of the 1930s, with a 41 ft high wing over a cabin for three. The wing is braced by parallel diagonal struts on each side, and early Robins have large flat fairings over them. The nose tells the engine: a V-8 with a radiator usually means an OX-5 (a few B-2s ran Wright-Hisso V-8s), a ring of cylinders means a radial, and plenty of survivors have been re-engined.
What does a Curtiss Robin sound like?
A liquid-cooled V-8 rumble on OX-5 Robins, a radial bark on the Challenger and Whirlwind ones.
How fast is the Curtiss Robin?
Top speed is 87 kts (100 mph) (OX-5).
How many passengers does the Curtiss Robin carry?
Up to 2. A typical layout is Pilot in front, two passengers side by side behind.
How far can the Curtiss Robin fly?
Range is about 682 nmi (OX-5, at cruise).
How big is the Curtiss Robin?
It is 25 ft 6 in (J-1) long and 41 ft 0 in across the wings.
When did the Curtiss Robin first fly?
Its first flight was in 7 August 1928.
How many Curtiss Robins have been built?
769 built.
How rare is a Curtiss Robin in Bogey?
COMMON. Everyday traffic. You will catch plenty of these, and every first catch still counts. Your first Curtiss Robin catch is worth 25 points.
