The Curtiss Robin, introduced in 1928, was a high-wing

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

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.

Design

The Robin, a workmanlike cabin

, 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 Warner R-420-1) was used by the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

, 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 The Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a manufacturer and services provider headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, with factories and operations in and outside the United States. Created in 1929 from the consolidation of Curtiss, Wright, and v ...

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. 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 The Chaco War ( es, link=no, Guerra del Chaco, gn, Cháko Ñorairõ ;Challenger Robin: (Model 50A) An early version of the Robin, powered by a

Curtiss Challenger The Curtiss R-600 Challenger was a six-cylinder, double-row, air-cooled, radial engine for aircraft use built in the United States in the late 1920s. It developed . Design and development Curtiss started work on a small six-cylinder engine in Ma ...

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

Comet 7-D The Comet 7-cylinder radials were a family of air-cooled radial engines, designed and built by the Comet Engine Corporation at Madison, Wisconsin from around 1927. Design and development Comet designed the 7-cylinder radial series to take advan ...

radial piston engine. ;Robin: (Model 50A) Prototypes and initial production aircraft powered by

Curtiss OX-5 The Curtiss OX-5 was an early V-8 American liquid-cooled aircraft engine built by Curtiss. It was the first American-designed aircraft engine to enter mass production, although it was considered obsolete when it did so in 1917.Smith, 1981, pa ...

engines. ;Robin B: A three-seat cabin monoplane, fitted with wheel brakes and a steerable tailwheel, powered by a

V-8 engine; about 325 were built. ;Robin B-2: A three-seat cabin monoplane, powered by a

Wright-Hisso The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914, and was the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza 8A ...

"A","E" and "I" V-8 water-cooled piston engine. ;Robin C: A three-seat cabin monoplane, powered by a or

radial piston engine; about 50 built. CurtissRobinC1

;Robin C-1: (Model 50C) An improved version of the Robin C, powered by a

radial piston engine; over 200 built. ;Robin C-2: (Model 50D) A long-range version fitted with an extra fuel tank, powered by a

radial piston engine; six built. ;Robin 4C: (Model 50E) A four-seat version, powered by a

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 The Wright R-760 Whirlwind was a series of seven-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of 756 in³ (12.4 L) and power ratings of 225-350 ...

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 The Wright R-540 Whirlwind was a series of five-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of 540 in³ (8.85 L) and power ratings of around ...

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 The Warner Scarab is an American seven-cylinder radial aircraft engine, that was manufactured by the Warner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit, Michigan in 1928 through to the early 1940s. In military service the engine was designated R-420. Vari ...

radial piston engine. Only a small number were built in 1930. Curtiss XC-10 Robin

;XC-10: One Robin W was sold to the

(USAAC) and converted into an unmanned pilot-less radio-controlled test aircraft, powered by a

Warner R-420-1 The Warner Scarab is an American seven-cylinder radial aircraft engine, that was manufactured by the Warner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit, Michigan in 1928 through to the early 1940s. In military service the engine was designated R-420. Varia ...

Operators

Military operators

; *

Paraguayan Air Force The Armed forces of Paraguay ( es, Fuerzas Armadas de Paraguay) consist of the Paraguayan army, navy (including naval aviation and marine corps) and air force. The constitution of Paraguay establishes the president of Paraguay as the commander- ...

; *

Surviving aircraft

Australia

* 477 – J-1 airworthy with John Graeme Vevers of

Patterson Lakes, Victoria Patterson Lakes is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Kingston local government area. Patterson Lakes recorded a population of 7,793 at the 2021 census. ...

Brazil

* 248 – C-2 in storage at the

TAM Museum The TAM Museum ( pt, Museu TAM), also known as the Museu Asas de um Sonho (Wings of a Dream Museum), was an aviation museum in the city of São Carlos, within the state of State of São Paulo, Brazil. The museum was located from central São Carlo ...

São Carlos, São Paulo SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U.S. ...

Canada

* 405 – C-1 on display at the

Reynolds-Alberta Museum The Reynolds-Alberta Museum is an agricultural, industrial, and transportation museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada. The museum is situated on an property containing the main museum building, an aviation display hangar, and its storage facility. ...

Wetaskiwin, Alberta Wetaskiwin ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. The city is located south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word ''wītaskiwinihk'', meaning "the hills where peace was made". Wetaskiwin is ...

Costa Rica

* C-1 on display at the

Juan Santamaría International Airport Juan Santamaría International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría) is the primary airport serving San José, the capital of Costa Rica. The airport is located in the city of Alajuela, 20 km (12 miles) west of downto ...

domestic terminal in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Germany

* 130 – J-1 airworthy with Antique Aeroflyers in Mengen, Baden-Württemberg.

United States

Air Zoo December 2019 045 (Curtiss Robin)

* 193 – B airworthy at the

Fantasy of Flight Fantasy of Flight is an aviation museum in Polk City, Florida. It opened in November 1995, to house Kermit Weeks' collection of aircraft that, until Hurricane Andrew damaged many in 1992, were housed at the Weeks Air Museum in Tamiami, Florida ...

Polk City, Florida Polk City is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,562 at the 2010 census. As of 2018, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 2,422. It is part of the Lakeland– Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistica ...

. * 213 – B airworthy at the

Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum The Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) is located in Hood River, Oregon, United States, adjacent to the Ken Jernstedt Memorial Airport. WAAAM is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization committed to the preservation of, and educatio ...

Hood River, Oregon The city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 8,313. It is the only city in Oregon whe ...

. * 329 – B-1 on static display at the

San Diego Air & Space Museum San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM, formerly the San Diego Aerospace Museum) is an aviation and space exploration museum in San Diego, California, United States. The museum is located in Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building, ...

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

. * 337 – C-1 on static display at the

Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is an aviation museum in McMinnville, Oregon. Its exhibits include the Hughes H-4 Hercules (''Spruce Goose'') and more than fifty military and civilian aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), and spac ...

McMinnville, Oregon McMinnville is the county seat of and largest city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. The city is named after McMinnville, Tennessee. As of the 2019 census, the city had a population estimate of 34,743. McMinnville is at the confluence of ...

. * 403 – B-2 on display at the

EAA Aviation Museum The EAA Aviation Museum, formerly the EAA AirVenture Museum (or Air Adventure Museum), is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historic and experimental aircraft as well as antiques, classics, and warbirds. The museum is lo ...

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

. * 469 – C-1 on display at the

Yanks Air Museum The Yanks Air Museum is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization and museum dedicated to exhibiting, preserving and restoring American aircraft and artifacts in order to show the evolution of American aviation, located at Chino Airport in Chino, Calif ...

Chino, California Chino ( ; Spanish for "Curly") is a city in the western end of San Bernardino County, California, United States, with Los Angeles County to its west and Orange County to its south in the Southern California region. Chino is adjacent to Chino ...

. * 628 – C-1 on static display at the

Museum of Flight The Museum of Flight is a private non-profit air and space museum in the Seattle metropolitan area. It is located at the southern end of King County International Airport (Boeing Field) in the city of Tukwila, immediately south of Seattle.< ...

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

. * 712 – 4C-1A on display at the Western North Carolina Air Museum in

Hendersonville, North Carolina Hendersonville is a city in Henderson County, North Carolina, United States. It is south of Asheville and is the county seat of Henderson County. Like the county, the city is named for 19th-century North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Leona ...

. * 733 – J-1D on display at the Shannon Air Museum in

Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,982. The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the United States Department of Commerce combines the city of Fredericksburg wi ...

. It was previously on display at the

Virginia Aviation Museum The Virginia Aviation Museum was an aviation museum in unincorporated Henrico County, Virginia, adjacent to Richmond International Airport (formerly "Richard Evelyn Byrd Flying Field"). Erected in 1986, the museum housed a collection of some thirt ...

. * 737 – J-1 airworthy with Brian T. Coughlin of

Cazenovia, New York Cazenovia is an incorporated Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Madison County, New York. The population was 6,740 at the time of the 2020 census. The town is named after Theophilus Cazenove , Theophile Cazenove, the ''Agent Gener ...

. It is based at

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is a living museum in Rhinebeck, New York. It owns many examples of airworthy aircraft of the Pioneer Era, World War I and the Golden Age of Aviation between the World Wars, and multiple examples of roadworthy antiqu ...

. * J-1 ''Ole Miss'' (US registration ''NR526N'') on static display at the

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the Nat ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

that set the aviation endurance record in 1935 (continuously airborne June 4-July 1), which it held for 4 years. * On static display at the

Cradle of Aviation Museum The Cradle of Aviation Museum is an aerospace museum located in Garden City, New York on Long Island, established to commemorate Long Island's part in the history of aviation. It is located on land once part of Mitchel Air Force Base which, tog ...

Garden City, New York Garden City is a village located on Long Island in Nassau County New York. It is the Greater Garden City area's anchor community. The population was 23,272 at the 2020 census. The Incorporated Village of Garden City is primarily located within ...

. It has floats in place of wheeled landing gear. * On display at the

Air Zoo The Air Zoo, founded as the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, is an aviation museum and indoor amusement park next to the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport in Portage, Michigan. The Air Zoo holds many historical and rare aircraft, inc ...

Portage, Michigan Portage is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 46,292 in the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census. It is the smaller of the two main cities included in the Kalamazoo–Por ...

. * On display at the Eagles Mere Air Museum in

Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania Eagles Mere is a borough in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 151 at the 2020 census. History Eagles Mere was laid out in 1877 and incorporated in 1899. The Eagles Mere Historic District was added to the National R ...

. * On static display at the

Glenn H. Curtiss Museum The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is a transportation museum in Hammondsport, New York with a focus on the early aviator Glenn H. Curtiss. The 60,000 square foot facility has a collection of aircraft, vintage motorcycles, automobiles, and aircraft eng ...

Hammondsport, New York Hammondsport is a village at the south end of Keuka Lake, in Steuben County, one of the Finger Lakes of New York, United States. The Village of Hammondsport is in the Town of Urbana and is northeast of Bath. History Lazarus Hammond founded ...

. * On display at the

Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum The Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, located at Creve Coeur Airport in Maryland Heights, Missouri, United States, is dedicated to restoring and preserving historical aircraft. The airplanes in the collection are all fabric-covered, and most ...

Maryland Heights, Missouri Maryland Heights is a second-ring north suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 27,472 at the 2010 census. The city was incorporated in 1985. Edwin L. Dirck was appointed the city's first may ...

. * Under restoration at the

Candler Field Museum The Candler Field Museum was a non-profit venture to recreate the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as it appeared in the 1920s and 1930s. It was located in Williamson, Georgia, at Peach State Airport. Founded in March, 2005 as ...

Williamson, Georgia Williamson is a city in Pike County, Georgia, United States. The population was 352 at the 2010 census. History The community was named after Isaac Henry Williamson, an early settler. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Williamson as a tow ...

. Now owned and operated by Capt. Buerk’s Living History Museum in New Hampshire. * Under restoration at the

Port Townsend Aero Museum Port Townsend Aero Museum is an aviation museum located at Jefferson County International Airport in Port Townsend, Washington. History The museum was founded in 2001 by Jerry and Peggy Thoutte with six flyable aircraft. The museum was initially ...

Port Townsend, Washington Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition to ...

Specifications (Robin OX-5)

Curtiss_Robin_3-view_Aero_Digest_October_1928

References

Bibliography

External links

Virginia Aircraft Museum

Curtiss Robin J-1 Deluxe "Ole Miss"

A Curtiss Robin is rebuilt from an empty frame
{{USAF transports Curtiss aircraft, Robin 1920s United States civil utility aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1928