Robin DR400 and DR401: Every Version Compared, from the 2+2 Trainer to the 200-hp Tug

Walk onto almost any French airfield on a Sunday morning and you'll hear one before you see it: a Lycoming at idle, a canopy rumbling forward on its rails, someone shouting "Dégagez l'hélice!" It's a Robin DR400. More than a third of the airplanes French flying clubs train and rent in are DR300s and DR400s.

It's a strange machine by American standards. It's made of wood and fabric. You climb in over the wing and slide a fighter-style bubble canopy shut over your head. The wing bends sharply upward two-thirds of the way out. The airspeed indicator reads kilometres per hour. And it has stayed in production, on and off, for more than fifty years.

It's also the airplane I learned to fly in, over the lake at Annecy, when a two-seat Tecnam would have cost me a lot less. Later in this article I'll explain why I paid more, with the real numbers.

The name "DR400" also hides about twenty versions: 2+2 trainers, 180-hp tourers, glider tugs, a Porsche-engined tug, a 200-hp constant-speed "Président", Jet-A1 diesels and the redesigned DR401. They look almost identical on the grass and fly by different numbers. We went to the EASA type certificate, Robin's own spec sheets and published flight manuals to sort them out.

A note on sources. Version data comes from EASA Type-Certificate Data Sheet EASA.A.367 (Issue 05, 2023). Performance comes from published flight manuals (DR400/2+2 1972, DR400/120 2018, DR400/180 1972 to 1980, DR400/135CDI 2014 and DR400/155CDI) and Robin Aircraft's DR401 spec sheets. Training prices are as published by Avialpes, Annecy, in June 2026. Individual airplanes differ by serial number, options and modifications. Your airplane's own flight manual and weight-and-balance always win.

Key takeaways

• The Robin DR400 is a French four-seat (or 2+2) low-wing light airplane built mostly of wood and fabric, with a forward-sliding bubble canopy and the cranked "Jodel" wing. It was first certified on 10 May 1972, and Robin says more than 3,000 have been built.
• "DR" stands for Délémontez-Robin: Jean Délémontez, co-designer of the Jodel, and Pierre Robin, who founded the company at Darois near Dijon in 1957.
• The model number is roughly the horsepower, but not always. The 2+2 and /120 use 108 to 118 hp, the /140B and /160 a 160-hp Lycoming O-320-D2A, the /180 a 180-hp O-360, and the /200R, /500 and /200i a 200-hp fuel-injected IO-360 with a constant-speed propeller.
• Tugs: the /180R, the Porsche-engined RP and the /200R are the glider-towing versions, popular with gliding clubs across Europe.
• Diesels: the 135CDI and 155CDI run on Jet A-1 with a single power lever and FADEC. Their never-exceed speed is 270 km/h instead of 308.
• The DR401 (2014) is a marketing name for the redesigned DR400, with a wider canopy, new panel and electric flaps and trim. The type certificate still calls every version "DR400".
• Where it flies: about 36% of French flying-club training and rental aircraft in 2019. It's common in Germany, Switzerland and UK gliding clubs, has been accepted in New Zealand since 2000, and is essentially absent from the USA. We found no FAA type certificate.
• DR400/180 vs Tecnam P2008 JC for training: at Annecy the DR400 rents for 287 €/h against 185 €/h. In exchange you get four seats, 190 litres of fuel, a canopy with no wing above your head, and a much better climb at training weights in the mountains.

The short version: the DR400 family at a glance

Certification dates and data from EASA TCDS A.367; engine power ratings are the Lycoming, Continental or Thielert ratings for each engine. "Noise" versions (/2+2, /100, /120D, /160D, /180S, /180R, NGL) are limited to a lower rpm, so they don't make full rated power. Diesels are approved by STC on existing models. Capacities: 110 L main tank behind the seats (100 or 109 L usable), two 40 L wing tanks where fitted, and an optional 50 L auxiliary tank.

What every DR400 shares, per the type certificate: Vne 308 km/h, Vno 260, Va 215 and Vfe 170 km/h IAS (166, 140, 116 and 92 kt), except the diesels at 270 km/h Vne. All have two flap notches, 15° for takeoff and 60° for landing, and the same 8.72 m Jodel wing planform.

From Jodel to Robin: a 75-year family tree

The DR400's most recognizable feature is older than the company that builds it.

In 1946 Édouard Joly and his son-in-law Jean Délémontez founded Avions Jodel in Beaune, the name being a blend of the two surnames. Their tiny D9 "Bébé Jodel" flew in January 1948. Délémontez put the wing's dihedral only in the outer panels, "where bending moments are lowest". That gave a flat, simple centre section and a sharply upturned tip, with washout that keeps the ailerons working near the stall. That cranked "Jodel wing" is the one you see on every DR400 today.

In 1956–57 Pierre Robin built a three-seat "Jodel-Robin" around an unfinished Jodel wing. In October 1957 he and Délémontez founded Centre-Est Aéronautique at Darois, outside Dijon. The airplanes were named DR, for Délémontez-Robin.

Sources: EASA TCDS A.367, Robin Aircraft, Aéroclub du Var's DR400 history, Wikipedia (fr/en), Flyer, AVweb and EASA AD records; dates that sources disagree on are given as ranges.

How many were built?

There's no single authoritative number. Robin says more than 3,000 DR400s since 1972, out of at least 4,500 Robin airplanes of all types. Wikipedia gives 2,700 by mid-2017, and serial numbers had reached about 2,700 by then. AOPA counted more than 1,500 sold by 1994. Each airframe takes about 2,000 hours of hand work, 170 kg of wood and 38 m of fabric, according to Robin.

A company that keeps coming back

The airplane outlived its makers several times. Pierre Robin sold the company in 1988. It passed through C.A.B. and Apex Industries, and went into liquidation in 2008 when its diesel engine supplier, Thielert, collapsed. A new Robin Aircraft restarted production in 2011, launched the DR401 in 2014, and was itself liquidated in November 2023 after a wing-spar airworthiness directive hurt sales. Each time the type certificate, the tooling and the parts survived. Today CEAPR owns the land, the buildings, the type certificates and the Robin Aircraft name, and has been building DR401s and CAP 10s again since December 2023.

The versions explained

The 2+2 trainers: /2+2, /100, /120, /125

These are the economical club trainers, with a 108–118 hp Lycoming O-235 and a fixed propeller. "2+2" means two real seats in front and a bench in the back for two light passengers or bags. The /100 (1987) is a true two-seater at 800 kg. The /120 (and its /120A and quieter /120D) became the classic French training DR400, with Robin's DR401 120Lite and 120A as today's versions.

Numbers that matter (DR400/120 manual, 900 kg): stall 94 km/h clean, 83 km/h with full flap. Cruise at 75% is about 216 km/h for 25 L/h. Takeoff over 15 m is 535 m and landing over 15 m 460 m.

The four-seat tourers: /140, /140B, /160, /180

This is where the DR400 earns its reputation as a family touring airplane. The /180 Régent is the classic, with a 180-hp O-360, 1,100 kg maximum takeoff weight, 190 litres of fuel with the wing tanks and 60 kg of baggage. It cruises at 248 km/h at sea level and 267 km/h (144 kt) at 8,000 ft at 75% power, for 39 L/h, and climbs 4.2 m/s (about 830 ft/min) at maximum weight.

The model names aren't strictly the horsepower. The type certificate fits the /140B with the same 160-hp O-320-D2A as the /160, with its rpm limited by propeller choice. The original /140 used the 150-hp O-320-E2A.

The tugs: /180R, RP, /200R

Gliding clubs love DR400 tugs: four seats for the club's other uses, short-field ability and a strong airframe. The /180R Remorqueur adds a tow hook, a rear-view mirror and panoramic rear windows. The Porsche-engined RP "Remo 212" (1988) was built as a quiet tug for noise-sensitive airfields. The /200R Remo 200 has a 200-hp injected Lycoming and a constant-speed propeller. The standard /180 can also tow with a supplement: its manual allows gliders up to 915 kg, and gives a 410 m takeoff on grass towing a 300 kg glider.

The 200-hp DR400s: /500 Président and /200i

The DR400/500, sold as the DR500, has a 200-hp IO-360 and a constant-speed propeller at 1,150 kg. The /200i (2017) is today's 200-hp DR401, with a three-blade MT constant-speed propeller. Robin quotes 140 kt cruise, 1,090 ft/min and a 420 m takeoff.

The diesels: 135CDI and 155CDI

In the mid-2000s Apex fitted Thielert's TAE 125, a turbocharged car-derived diesel with FADEC and a single power lever, running on Jet A-1 (or EN 590 road diesel as a substitute in the 155CDI). The diesels are frugal, at 21–24 L/h in cruise, but never-exceed speed drops to 270 km/h. Their checklists have no mixture and no carburetor heat; a glow-plug light and an automatic FADEC test take their place. When Thielert went bankrupt in 2008, diesels were about half of Robin's production.

The DR401

Launched in April 2014, the DR401 is Robin's name for the redesigned airplane. It has a wider canopy giving about 10 cm more cabin width, a centre console between new seats, a new panel and coaming, and electric flaps and electric pitch trim. Robin said 95% of the parts were changed. The current line runs from the 120Lite two-seater to the 180LR long-range tourer (190 L, 1,600 km range) and the 200i.

Performance compared

Robin's sheets give cruise at 75% power and 8,000 ft, and takeoff to 15 m at maximum weight. Manual editions differ in conditions; compare like with like and plan from your own airplane's manual.

Living with a wooden airplane

The DR400's wood-and-fabric structure is light, strong and easy for a skilled workshop to repair, and Robin says a properly maintained wooden wing has no fatigue life. It also brings its own airworthiness history:

• Spar reinforcement: after an in-flight wing failure in 1997, French AD 2003-348 and later EASA AD 2007-0071R2 required a main-spar reinforcement on serial numbers 924 to 2443.
• Fabric repairs: a 2006 emergency AD followed fabric tearing at patch repairs.
• Spar bonding (2022–2024): EASA emergency AD 2022-0267-E, then 2023-0048-E, grounded some aircraft over spar-bonding defects and placarded a reduced Vno of 230 km/h. EASA cancelled it on 12 June 2024, after finding the bonding acceptable. The crisis contributed to Robin Aircraft's liquidation in 2023.
• Parts and engines: the 2008 Apex liquidation briefly interrupted parts supply, and the Thielert bankruptcy left diesel owners waiting for engines.

None of this has stopped French clubs flying them in large numbers. It does mean a pre-buy inspection by a shop that knows Robin wood is not optional.

Where the DR400 is popular, and where it isn't

Why do clubs choose it? Low purchase and running costs for a four-seater, a big useful load and range, short-field ability on grass, gentle stall behaviour, tug versions, and the view from that canopy, which Plane & Pilot likened to a helicopter's.

Why I learned to fly in a Robin, not a Tecnam

A personal note from Allon Mason, ZuluCheck's founder.

When I started my PPL at Annecy, I had a choice that many European students face: a modern two-seat Tecnam P2008 JC, or a forty-year-old wooden Robin DR400/180. The Tecnam was cheaper per hour by a wide margin. I chose the Robin anyway, for three reasons, and I'd do it again.

1. Visibility

The DR400 is a low wing with a forward-sliding bubble canopy. In a turn, nothing is above you: you look into the turn and see the traffic, the runway or the ridgeline. According to the aerovfr pilot's guide to the DR400, fitting that panoramic canopy meant lowering the fuselage's upper longerons by about ten centimetres.

The P2008 is a high-wing airplane. Its windows are large, and Plane & Pilot praised its "great views out, down and sideways", which is fair. But in a turn the raised wing covers exactly the piece of sky you're turning into. The Tecnam's own flight manual warns, in its engine-start checklist, that "forward lower sector visibility is not possible from inside the cockpit."

2. Power, where it counts

DR400/180 flight manual (1972–80 edition) and EASA TCDS A.367; Tecnam P2008 JC AFM Ed. 2 Rev. 0 (2018).

At maximum weight the two airplanes have almost the same power-to-weight ratio (about 6.1 kg/hp for the Robin and 6.3 for the Tecnam), and they climb about the same. The difference shows at training weight, in the mountains. On a 25 °C summer day at 6,000 ft, the P2008 at maximum weight climbs about 430 ft/min by its manual. A DR400/180 at 900 kg, two people and part fuel, which is how you actually fly lessons, climbs about 730 ft/min. At Annecy, with the Alps on three sides and the Aravis to cross, that margin was worth paying for.

To be fair to the Tecnam: it needs much less runway, burns half the fuel, has a modern Garmin G3X, and is a perfectly good trainer.

3. Four seats

The point of a licence, for me, was to take people flying. A DR400/180 carries four people, 190 litres of fuel and 60 kg of bags. A P2008 carries two and 20 kg. The DR400 is also the airplane I'd rent after the licence, since it's more than a third of the French club fleet. Training in it meant no checkout into a bigger airplane later.

What it cost

Avialpes, the flight school at Annecy Mont-Blanc airport, flies both types from the same field and publishes its prices (June 2026, including tax, billed block to block):

Avialpes "Tarification des prestations au 1er juin 2026" and its flight school page; flight time only, excluding membership, ground school, landing fees and exams. Our arithmetic.

Roughly 5,000 € more for the whole licence. Most of the gap is fuel: at around 3 € per litre of 100LL, the Robin burns about 55 € an hour more. For me, four seats, the canopy and the climb margin in the Alps were worth it. If your budget is tight and you fly from a long runway at sea level, the Tecnam is the rational choice.

Robin vs Tecnam: how the checklists differ

Switching between these two airplanes, or between DR400 versions, changes far more than the speed units. Here are the starts side by side, the way ZuluCheck shows them. Highlighted rows are the ones that differ.

The DR400/180 list is ZuluCheck's, built from a club's checklist cards at Annecy. The P2008 JC list follows the Tecnam AFM.

What jumps out:

• Canopy, not doors. The DR400 starts with the canopy closed and ends its landing preparations with it unlocked for an emergency. The Tecnam has two doors and a step.
• Mixture vs choke. The Lycoming has a mixture lever: full rich for start, leaned in the run-up ("lean, drop, rich") and pulled to cut-off to stop. The Rotax has no mixture lever at all, but a choke for cold starts.
• Fuel management. Both start on the emptier tank and take off on the fuller one, with the electric pump on. The DR400's tanks (main plus wing tanks) have no "BOTH" position, so tank switching is a real cockpit task.
• Two electrical switches. The DR400 has a separate battery master and alternator switch. The Tecnam has a master and a generator switch.
• Kilometres per hour vs knots. The DR400's speeds are in km/h IAS: rotate at 100, climb at 170 clean, best glide 150, final 125 with full flap. The P2008's are in knots: rotate at 48, climb at 71, final 54.

Run-up

The Rotax drives its propeller through a gearbox, so the Tecnam's rpm numbers are propeller rpm. Full throttle on the takeoff roll shows about 2,100 rpm, and maximum continuous is 2,250. The Tecnam's shutdown also asks for one minute at 1,200 rpm to let the engine cool.

The diesel DR400 is a different airplane in the cockpit

The 155CDI's flight manual replaces most of the Lycoming items. Here is its start, translated from the French manual:

There's no mixture, no carburetor heat and no magneto check. Before takeoff, an automatic FADEC test (power lever at idle, hold the test button, both FADEC lights on, propeller rpm rises) takes the place of the mag check, and the manual is blunt: if the lights don't come on, don't take off. And remember the lower never-exceed speed, 270 km/h.

Engine fire in flight

Here the two manuals agree on something that surprises many students: open the throttle fully to burn the fuel left in the engine.

So which DR400 is right for you?

• DR400/120 or DR401 120A: the economical club trainer at about 25 L/h. Great for the licence, tight with four adults.
• DR400/140B or /160: the sweet spot for many clubs, with four seats and a 160-hp O-320. The /160 adds wing tanks.
• DR400/180 Régent: the classic tourer and mountain airplane, at 1,100 kg, 190 L and 39 L/h. It can tow with the supplement.
• DR400/180R, RP or /200R: if your club tows gliders.
• DR400/500 or /200i: 200 hp and a constant-speed propeller for the fastest, longest-legged DR400s.
• 135CDI or 155CDI: the cheapest to run per hour, on Jet A-1, but check the engine's replacement-time status and support.
• Any of them: have a shop that knows Robin wood look at the spar, the bonding and the fabric before you buy.

Prices and availability change constantly, and this is general information, not purchasing advice.