Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Three-seat cabin monoplane

Power Plant:

(OX-5 Robin)

One 67 kw (90 hp) Curtiss OX-5 eight-cylinder VEE liquid-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

One of a range of aircraft produced in the United States just before the Great Depression of the thirties, the Robin still sold well, with more than 700 examples produced. Designed by the Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor Company in 1927, the Robin was built by the Curtiss-Robertson Airplane Manufacturing Corporation plant at St Louis, Missouri, in 1928, this being a subsidiary. A number of variants were built during its production life. Up to this time Curtiss had only had small forays into the construction of civil aircraft, being basically content to fulfill orders from the US Army and Navy.

The Robin had a fully enclosed cockpit, three doors, one for each occupant, the pilot sitting forward in a bucket-type seat, and the two passengers to the rear on a bench seat. At that stage Curtiss still had on hand a good supply of 67 kw (90 hp) Curtiss OX-5 liquid-cooled engines, and this unit was installed in initial production aircraft. The Robin was said to be well suited for training and it was used extensively by flying schools across the United States. Eventually a variant of the OX-5 engine was built with air-cooling in order to extend its life and this was known as the ‘Tank engine’. There has been some conjecture as to the number of Curtiss Robins built but it is understood to be between 700 and 750 during the few years it was in production.

Later a new model known as the Challenger-Robin appeared, powered by the new 123 kw (165 hp) Curtiss Challenger six-cylinder air-cooled radial engine. It was a staggered two-row radial that was actually two banks of three cylinders each operating off a two-throw crankshaft and was similar in principle to the early six-cylinder Anzani engines. This unusual engine was designed by Arthur Nutt, Chief Engineer of the Motor Division of Curtiss, and production of the engine continued until 1931, at which time it was producing 138 kw (185 hp). The extra power of this engine increased the performance of the aircraft considerably.

Some Robins were unusual in having aerofoil struts from the lower fuselage to the wing, these helping increase the stability of the aircraft and providing extra lift of 3.8 m² (41 sq ft). These were initially developed by Bellanca and were used on a number of aircraft throughout that period. However, many had streamlined wing struts of much thinner section; and late-built aircraft had an oleo type undercarriage. After some time the third door in production aircraft was eliminated.

The fuselage framework was built up of welded chrome-moly steel tubing, lightly faired to shape and fabric covered. The wing framework was built up of routed spruce spars and Alclad aluminium stamped-out ribs, also fabric covered. The tail was built of welded steel tubing with metal stamped ribs, and covered with fabric, the horizontal stabiliser being adjustable in flight. Fuel capacity of the Challenger model was 189 litres (42 Imp gals) contained in two fuel tanks, one in each wing root. There were no wheel-brakes. Eventually wheel-brakes became available and the exhaust collector ring was buried inside the engine cowling instead of running around the outside on the radial-engined models.

In the days of record-breaking flights in the late twenties and early thirties the Robin received its share of use. In July 1938 Douglas “wrong-way” Corrigan in a Robin fitted with a 123 kw (165 hp) Wright J-6 engine (NX9243) officially set out to fly from New York to California but “miscalculated” his direction and flew the Atlantic, landing at Dublin, Ireland 28 hours later.

In July 1929 Messrs Jackson and O’Brine set an endurance record in a Challenger powered Robin of 420 hours, being re-fuelled in the air by another Robin, this record later being broken by a Stinson which achieved 553 hours in June 1930. Later the same crew in August 1930 set a new record of 647 hours, and some years later another Robin broke this record by achieving 653 hours.

A number of Curtiss Robins still fly in the United States but a few have been re-engined with more modern power plants.

First of the type seen in Australia was G-AUJE (c/n AB 34), built at the Auglum facility in Missouri in August 1928, registered on 31 December 1928 to Sidney L Tyler and T W ‘Shorty’ Shortridge of Sydney, NSW, fitted with a Curtiss OX-5 engine. Shortridge was later to lose his life in the loss of the Avro 10 ‘Southern Cloud’ in the Snowy Mountains on 23 March 1931. The registration was changed to VH-UJE on 31 August 1930.

The aircraft had four types of engines fitted during its lifetime. In 1936 an 82 kw (110 hp) Warner Scarab was installed, this reducing the aircraft’s empty weight from 675 kg (1,488 lb) to 572 kg (1,261 lb). This was followed by a 93 kw (125 hp) Warner Super Scarab. Eventually a 97 kw (130 hp) de Havilland Gipsy Major was installed.

In February 1939 ownership was changed to C H Fischer of Hurstville, NSW, and on 12 June that year it made a forced landing at Hargraves, NSW. Later that year an application was made to use motor vehicle tyres on the aircraft as the standard aircraft type could not be obtained.

In July 1946 the owner was R J Mackenzie of Coonamble, NSW; and in April 1950 ownership was transferred to Kingsford Smith Aviation Service of Mascot, NSW. In June 1950 it was sold to J L Dennett of Kogarah, NSW. Later that year it was sold to James L D C Whiteman of Sydney but on 12 November at Condoblin, NSW, whilst being started, it rolled forward and hit a car. It was then obtained by Overland Air Services, and in March 1951 ownership was transferred to Crowley & Stockden Airways of Lae, PNG. In November 1953 the company became Crowley Airways and it was used on charter and freight work. In December 1954 the registration was changed to VH-CSB. In about 1959 it was withdrawn from service and it was reported it was to be used as a training school aid, but in the event it became a play-frame in a children’s playground.

In 1990 another Robin was imported from the United States (c/n 477) to South Australia. Ex N766M, a fully restored B Model, fitted with a Wright R-540 Whirlwind radial engine, became VH-JUV registered to Geoffrey Davis of Salisbury, SA. By 2017 ownership was transferred to John Vevers of Patterson Lakes, VIC.