Dear Robin connoisseur, I am looking for some information and testimonials about this bird in general. They are not many in the air, although it’s been a great serie of plane since the HR100 to R2000 and then 3000. I know that some of them are based in UK, some in Germany also, may be you had some in sight or in hand.
How is comfort on 2hours+ trips, is the cabin noisy, heat and air vent efficient enough to manage winter trips at FL100, as well as sunny one in the summer?
The Aiglon is a revised version of the HR100 fixed gear with the lyco360 carbureted, with the revised wings of the R2000 that helps low speed handling and also better flaps and ailerons. HR100 was a nice and quick bird bird but has higher speed TO and landing, which doesn’t help on short runway, but the Aiglon is quite better.
In fact, the performances looks really good looking at the POH, with a theoretical 500kg load (realistically 450kg that is still nice) and 60usg in the wings, and a speed of 125 to 130 kias under FL100.
If the cabin is like the R3000 series, it’s also longer and wider that the DR400, and I was surprised in a good way while inspecting a r3000- recently.
I’d like to visit one that I am running after – but unfortunately my work is eating all my time, and flying to Arnsberg is not simple (close to Dortmund), and i am trying to get more confidence in it with various testimonials.
So far it’s looking like a beloved plane, lands and To a bit faster than the DR400 but at least as fast in cruise, it is made in metal and I do prefer metal in my homebase where wooden planes doesn’t really like to be let in the moistured sun of LFMD all day long. I know it could be prone to corrosion but this one is looking great in that point. I didn’t decide whether it’s better to let it in 9A or move to F- in case the trigger is pulled, but my maintenance shop told me that he’s ok to manage the airworthiness on a 9A.
https://www.planecheck.com?ent=da&id=59172
I received all the docs and it is really correct, owner looks serious.
The Aiglon is a nice aircraft. The club here had one for a while. I thought it was a comfortable aircraft to fly and had good manoeuvrability and landing and take off performance. IIRC though the IAS in cruise is nearer the 120 KIAS to 125KIAS rather than 130kias. Ours had a single axis auto pilot but I don’t think it got used much as it was very stable and easy to hand fly once I had 3 or 4 hours in it. It was changing from stick to yoke that, for me, was the initial problem. (Well not really a problem just getting used to a different feel).
IIRC it used about 30 litres an hour in cruise.
All in all I enjoyed it. I also felt they were reasonably priced when one IFR equipped, came up for sale at LFBH a few years ago. It was tempting but I decided to stick with two engines.
The R3000 has a very different feel IMHO, it feels less open. But you don’t see many come up for sale. One of the mechanics here has one and it’s been in his family since new. He doesn’t seem in any hurry to let it go.
gallois wrote:
The R3000 has a very different feel IMHO, it feels less open. But you don’t see many come up for sale. One of the mechanics here has one and it’s been in his family since new. He doesn’t seem in any hurry to let it go.
There seems to be many R3000 in the La Rochelle/Niort/Oleron. I visited one (a 160hp version) in Niort, but was never able to fly it because of the weather, but it was beautiful and nicely maintained by a cool guy. Unfortunately he sold it before I could buy it… There are a few 180hp version also, a bit wobbly on dutch roll but good looking and confortable… But really rare. For the history, there is only one R3000 fitted with a O540, initially a 6 place cabin as a F-W (pre-sample), and then changed to a 4 places with great luggage compartment. It’s still flying around Nimes, and I think current owner is regularly receiving buying offers as it looks like a great plane.
This flap mecanism is a marvel:
F-W is experimental, which it would of course be been as s prototype.
If it’s still around it has probably been re registered when it got its CDN.
Dany at LFBH, of they are still around, used to have Aiglons and R3000 for sale occasionally. They seemed to be the place to go for owners in the area to sell them, rather than putting them on the market for a private sale. Or maybe they just knew when one was becoming available.
That one looks really nice from the photo..The tan interior makes it look more spacious.
Looks good
No first hand experience, but I do have the two Robin books (‘Avions Robin’ and ‘La saga Robin’) and can scan the relevant pages if you’re interested. The known issues are fragile nosegear and the spar flange is prone to corrosion over time. Generally everything is positive, but both books agree that good landings are difficult to achieve.
It was a drawback of HR100, but urban legends says that it was not the case of the aiglon/R2000 series. I would be interested by your scan, if only you have time ;).
I’ve seen a few Aiglons in the UK and Germany, and they seem to be pretty solid planes. The cabin is comfortable enough for a couple of hours, though it can get a bit noisy at times. The ventilation system does a decent job, even in winter, but might not be as great in the summer if you’re flying in really hot conditions. Performance-wise, the wing upgrades on the Aiglon definitely make a difference, especially for low-speed handling. I like the fact that it’s metal, too, especially where I fly—wooden planes just don’t hold up as well in the humidity and sun. If the owner’s serious and the documentation checks out, it sounds like a good opportunity. Just make sure to get a thorough inspection before pulling the trigger.
I don’t know where those authors got the impression that the Aiglon was difficult to land. Once I had got used to the Yoke it was a peach. No problem at all doing a kiss landing on grass or tarmac.👍
Personally, I prefer the wooden Robins they weather better than the metal ones and with a little TLC still look good after 30 or 40 years.
Just look at the difference between the Cutty Sark and HMS Belfast, both stored under similar conditions, ie the Thames.🙂
The metal Robins were an unsuccessful attempt the break the USA market. It didn’t happen mainly because Robin’s business model has always been niche.
The R2000 is very different to the R3000, and if IIUC the majority (R2000) on the market.today we’re 2.seat trainers, some with aerobatic capabilities and.many built under licence in New Zealand. But that is from memory.
The metal Robins were an unsuccessful attempt the break the USA market. It didn’t happen mainly because Robin’s business model has always been niche.
Americans are suspicious of anything which is likely to very firmly grip your goolies when you come to buy spares for it 
And as an owner of a French aircraft I can understand that. Socata had way more $$$ to push the TB range than Robin had but they still failed.
All in all, the 1180 is similar to a pa28 but better is a lot of area (I didn’t fly it): speed (~5 to 10kn), load (50 to 100 kg more), endurance (60 vs 48usg), visibility of the canopy.
I don’t judge about the confort, as I didn’t like the small cramped DR400 interior that forces you to stay folded, but I don’t really like the small windows in the pa28 either, and the only one exit on the side. The seat and position looks better in the Aiglon, the canopy opening forward is also better for getting in/out. I would say (until I’ll try it) that it is better thought in a lot of area.
