Which popular general aviation aircraft has been in production continuously for 50 years, has outstanding cabin visibility, a unique cranked dihedral wing, and is unknown to most North American pilots? While the names Cessna, Piper and Beechcraft and latecomers Cirrus and Diamond dominate the North American market, in France, a dedicated team has been constructing and marketing a distinctive line of single-engine aircraft since the late 1950s. The performance and panache of this elegant four-seat single have made it a favorite across the European Union and Great Britain. This is the Robin DR 400. The story of the DR 400 begins in 1957 with Pierre Robin and Jean Delemontez. Robin, a flight instructor and aero club owner, was looking for an aircraft to add to his fleet that could carry four people cross country in comfort. Delemontez, the chief designer, brought a four-seat design in which his current company, Jodel, had no interest. In 1957, Delemontez and Robin joined forces to form the CEA (Centre-Est Aeronautique) , which later became Avions Robin (Robin Aviation).
展开▼
