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A
s Keith signals he
wants me to drop
lower and ease
slightly further
forward it occurs to
me that, as much as I rate the
four-seat Robin Regent tourer,
when flying formation I’d rather
be in the virtually identical
Remorqueur tug, with its better
field of view.
The DR400 is one of the most
successful designs to emerge from
the Robin factory at Darois in the
Burgundy region of France. Robin
Aviation began trading in 1956,
although the progenitor of the
company’s first design flew eight
years earlier. In 1948, Edouard
Joly and Jean Delemontez first
flew the diminutive single-seat
D.9 Bébé, which was so successful
(I have one!) that in 1950 the two
men−who were already related
by marriage−decided to form the
Société des Avions Jodel.
Jodel, which is a contraction
of the two men’s surnames, went
on to manufacture several very
successful designs which were
braking system is very different. the end of its travel. Pulling the people, parked gliders or indeed ’GZ has a slower, gentler stall,
Whereas Golf Yankee’s brakes T-handle right out and turning anything. If you have to brake allowing slightly lower approach
are operated by pressing the top it through 90° so that the white suddenly, I can guarantee that, speeds. And as it doesn’t have
part of the rudder pedals, Golf dot is in the twelve o’clock unless you are holding the brake any weight in the wings it has a
Zulu’s are actuated by pulling position sets the park brake. handle, your toes will press slightly brisker roll-rate. It also
the T-handle in the centre of If you’ve had a busy morning where the brakes should be, has a superior field of view −
the subpanel. This applies towing with ’GY and you change giving you (and possibly others) a even rearwards with a much
both brakes simultaneously; to ’GZ, it is imperative that your nasty scare! better mirror. As you’d expect,
differential braking occurs when right hand is on the brake handle In flight, they handle much Golf Zulu is the better tug, Golf
either rudder pedal approaches whenever you’re taxying near the same, although being lighter Yankee the superior cruiser.
The 401
Dimensions
Length 6.96m
Height 2.23m
Wing span 8.72m
Wing area 13.6sq m
Performance
Vne 166kt
Cruise (TAS) 135kt (124kt)
Stall 52kt (47kt)
Climb rate 825fpm (1,000fpm)
Service ceiling 15,500ft (20,000ft)
Takeoff to 50ft 610m (400m)
Land over 50ft 530m (470m)
Engine
Textron-Lycoming O-360-A3A air-cooled
flat-four, producing 180hp (134kW) at
2,700rpm
Propeller
Sensenich metal two blade fixed pitch
(Hoffman wooden two blade fixed pitch)
Manufacturer
Robin Aircraft, Darois, France
UK Agent: Mistral Aviation
sales@mistralaviation.co.uk
ABOVE: is comfortable, well ventilated, are anti-wooden aircraft, but in my phenomenal number of hours
overshadowed by adequately heated and quite opinion this is prejudice, founded and tows.
newer designs? spacious. What don’t I like about on myths and half-truths. While I was impressed with the
Don’t you believe it it? Very little. The pilot’s harness wooden aircraft built sixty years capabilities of the DR400 the first
for a moment! is poor, I don’t like not having a ago using Casein glue should time I flew one and, having now
window that opens (or at least a certainly be viewed with suspicion, logged a reasonable amount of
LEFT: ‘it is slightly
surprising how
DV panel), and the stick is perhaps the introduction of synthetic time in them, nothing has made me
well the DR400 a bit tall (although that opinion glues and fabrics such as Diatex, revise my opinion. With a useful
performs in roll’ is entirely subjective). There isn’t Ceconite and Oratex have ensured load of 500kg and equally good
a separate friction device for that a modern wooden aircraft can numbers for range and endurance,
the pre-tensioned throttles, and be as tough and durable as either the Regent is a true four-seat tourer.
although this isn’t an issue when metal or GRP−and also lighter. Fast, comfortable and economical,
tugging it can be in the cruise. Another reason why ‘wood is good’ it is an unpretentious aircraft with
Apart from these rather minor nit- is that it doesn’t have a ‘memory’ fine handling and simple systems
picks, it really is difficult to find (and consequently DR400s are that can lift a good load from a
fault with the Regent. not blighted with a Fatigue Index short strip. It’s no surprise that
So what about the practicalities or ‘Service Life’). I have heard of more than 3,000 have been sold,
of owning a wood-and-fabric Remorqueurs owned by French and that the design remains in
aeroplane? Doubtless some pilots gliding clubs that have logged a production today.