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The Robin DR400

• Safe and easy to fly

• Enjoyable to fly and to fly in          

• Comfortable

• Excellent performance

• Rugged and durable

• Uncomplicated and reliable

• Versatile and multi-talented

• Attractive and appealing

New members coming from a background of flying Cessnas and Pipers, as most do, find the DR400 a revelation. No, not a revolution - it offers equally safe and benign handling, excellent stability, docile stall and extreme reluctance to spin - it is just much nicer to fly and to fly in.

Vision dominates - about the best view of the outside world from any light aircraft - instead of towering, in-your-face instrument panels and letter-box windows.  The Robin side windows come right down to elbow level affording peripheral visibility more akin to a helicopter than a PA28!

The other major difference is control by stick instead of wheel. The prospect of this  can concern new members, uncertain of their ability to adapt to an arrangement which looks so fundamentally different.

If you ask after their first flight “How do you find a stick instead of a wheel?”, most say that after a few minutes they had forgotten the difference.

When asked the question again after a few hours in Robins, the commonest reply is that they have no desire to fly a light aircraft with a wheel again! A stick is so much more natural and intuitive - ask any fighter pilot.

Along with the stick as input, the precision of the controls and responsiveness of the airframe convey a feeling of being at one with the aircraft and give the DR400 a crisp, enthusiastic, sporty feel.

The DR400’s performance should also come as a pleasant surprise.  All models perform outstandingly for their engine size, comparing with “one size up”  Cessnas and Pipers.

With its generous window area and comfortable cabin the DR400 is exceptionally passenger-friendly. It makes a great aircraft for taking friends or family flying and a relaxed and highly competent tourer. 

Less obvious is its flexibility of operation and ability to cope with short and rough airstrips, where a strong undercarriage with 17cm travel in its well-damped oleos soaks up the bumps. We find that we can enjoy strips where other aircraft may fear to tread.

Download Robin DR400 operating notes