Robin DR400

Updated: October 2026 – At the edge of a gliding site an engine roars up, a small low-wing tows a glider behind it on a rope, and its outer wings angle upward like a gull’s: that is very probably a Robin DR400. The four-seat wooden low-wing from Burgundy is the club aircraft in France and is also at home at many fields in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Here you’ll learn how to recognize it, which versions exist and where you are most likely to get it in front of your lens.

What is the Robin DR400?

The DR400 is a single-engine, four-seat wooden low-wing aircraft. The load-bearing structure is made of wood, and the surfaces are covered in fabric. That sounds like a vintage aircraft, but it is a proven design that is still built today: wood is light, easy to repair and forgives a good deal in everyday club use. For a current aircraft Robin quotes about 170 kilograms of wood and roughly 2,000 working hours, and it is built largely by hand.

Three things are typical: the bent wing with a horizontal center section and upward-angled outer wings, the sliding canopy that slides forward for entry, and the fixed nosewheel landing gear. Depending on the version, a Lycoming four-cylinder with 118 to 200 hp drives the propeller; later diesel engines and a variant with a Porsche engine were added.

The DR400 is used as a training, touring, sightseeing and tow aircraft. In France it is part of the basic stock of the aéroclubs: in 2019 the French clubs operated 864 aircraft of the DR300 and DR400 series – more than a third of their entire training and charter fleet. In German-speaking countries you know it mainly as a club aircraft and as a tug at gliding sites.

Origins: wood construction from Darois

The story of the DR400 begins at Jodel. Jean Délémontez had co-developed the brand’s wooden aircraft, which were widespread in France in the 1950s. In October 1957 he founded the company Centre-Est Aéronautique with Pierre Robin at the airfield at Darois near Dijon. The initials of the two gave rise to the abbreviation DR, which is still part of the type name today. From 1970 the company operated as Avions Pierre Robin.

The DR400 developed from its predecessors, the DR200 and DR300. The most important difference: instead of doors it got a large canopy that slides forward. The cabin became wider at the shoulders, the instrument panel clearer. The prototype, a 180 hp DR400/180 Régent, flew on March 27, 1972 in Darois, and series production began in May. In the same year five more versions followed, including the Remorqueur tug version in November.

The following decades were turbulent. In 1988 the Apex group took over the manufacturer, and in 2008 Apex went into liquidation after problems with Thielert diesel engines. From 2011 Robin Aircraft built aircraft again, and in 2014 the company presented the successor, the DR401, at AERO in Friedrichshafen. At the end of 2023 Robin Aircraft went into liquidation; the sister company CEAPR (Centre Est Aéronautique Pierre Robin) rehired about half of the workforce and in September 2024 received the production approval for new aircraft from the French aviation authority DGAC.

The versions at a glance

Numerous variants were built over four decades. The differences lie mainly in the engine, and for the tugs also in the cowling and propeller.

Version	Engine	Power	Special feature
DR400/120 Dauphin 2+2	Lycoming O-235	118 hp	Best-selling version, two adults and two children
DR400 Dauphin 4 and Major	Lycoming O-320	160 hp	Full four seats, Major 80 from 1980 with long range
DR400/160 Chevalier	Lycoming O-320	160 hp	Touring version of the first generation
DR400/180 Régent	Lycoming O-360	180 hp	First model, powerful four-seater
DR400/180R Remorqueur	Lycoming O-360	180 hp	Tug version, with rear window from 1974
DR400/200R Remo 200	Lycoming IO-360	200 hp	Tug with constant-speed propeller, slightly longer fuselage
DR400/180RP Remo 212	Porsche PFM 3200	212 hp	Tug with Porsche flat engine
DR400 EcoFlyer	Diesel engine	135 or 155 hp	From 2006, runs on Jet-A1
DR401	depending on version	120 to 200 hp	Successor from 2014, with glass cockpit on request

The power figures of the early versions shifted several times, and many aircraft were converted during their lives. The version on the fuselage and the actual engine therefore don’t always match – when in doubt, the registration helps.

The successor DR401 keeps the same basic design. Robin offers it as a trainer (for example the 120Lite, 135CDI or 160A) and as a touring aircraft up to the 200i. From the outside a DR401 is hard to tell from a late DR400; differences show mainly in the slightly wider cowling at the bottom and in the cockpit.

The tug on duty

At many gliding sites the DR400 is the weekend workhorse. In aerotow it pulls a glider on a rope up to release height, releases it and returns quickly to land and take over the next tow. For that you need climb performance, rugged technology and good visibility to the rear.

The DR400/180R Remorqueur is built for exactly that. So that the pilot keeps the glider on the rope in view, the tug version got an additional rear window behind the canopy from 1974; since 1987 all versions have it, so today it is no longer useful as a distinguishing feature. The tow hitch for the rope sits at the tail.

For those for whom 180 hp is not enough, there was the Remo 200 with a fuel-injected engine and constant-speed propeller and the Remo 212 with a Porsche engine. For clubs the DR400 has another advantage: between tow missions it serves as a four-seat touring or sightseeing aircraft. Many clubs therefore use it twice over – on the rope on Saturdays, for guest flights on Sundays.

If you want to hang on the rope yourself one day, the article on the glider pilot license SPL explains how the training works. How to join a club and what is expected of you there is covered under Becoming a member of an air sports club. And if you want to dig deeper into the history of gliding, the German Gliding Museum on the Wasserkuppe is the right destination.

Wood in practice: maintenance and airworthiness

Wooden aircraft need different care than metal ones. Moisture, temperature and age act on wood and glued joints, which is why many owners keep their DR400 in a hangar whenever possible. At the same time, a wooden structure can be repaired well by experienced workshops.

How to identify the DR400

At a club field you often find different small low-wings parked side by side. Four observations let you pin down the DR400 with confidence.

You read the exact version and year of manufacture most reliably from the registration. In Germany the DR400 flies in weight class D-E for single-engine aircraft up to two tonnes; what the letters mean is explained in the article on German aircraft registrations. How to find out the age through registers and databases is covered under How old is this aircraft?.

More tips on telling small aircraft apart are collected in the article Recognizing small aircraft.

Where to see the DR400

The DR400 is not an aircraft of the big commercial airports. Its stage is club fields, regional airfields and gliding sites – especially on weekends with good visual flight weather.

Place	Chance of a hit	Why
Gliding sites with aerotow	high	Remorqueur as a tug, often in constant use
Regional airfields with club operations	medium to high	Training, touring and sightseeing flights
Airfields in France	very high	Standard equipment of many aéroclubs
Airfield festivals	medium	Sightseeing flights and visiting aircraft from neighboring clubs
Altiports in the French Alps	medium	Clubs use the climb performance for mountain flights
Large commercial airports	low	Hardly any general aviation in scheduled operations

You find small fields and gliding sites through aeronautical charts and online directories; the guide Finding small airfields on maps explains how. General tips for visits to GA fields are provided by Spotting general aviation. If you are traveling in the Alps, the article on Courchevel and the altiports has suitable destinations.

Photo tips for the DR400

The DR400 is small, and its features need to be framed deliberately. A few points make the difference.

You can work out beforehand when the light fits at your location; the guide Planning the sun position for your photo spot explains how. And because airfields are operational grounds: respect barriers and, when in doubt, ask the flight operations manager or at the clubhouse before you go closer to the takeoff area.

DR400 compared with other club aircraft

Feature	Robin DR400	Piper PA-28	Cessna 172
Construction	Wood, fabric-covered	Metal	Metal
Wing	Low wing with bend	Low wing, straight	High wing with strut
Entry	Canopy slides forward	One door on the right	Two doors
Wingspan	8.72 m	about 10.8 m (Archer)	about 11 m
Typical club use	Training, touring, glider tow	Training, touring	Training, touring

If you want to get to know the competition better, you’ll find the details on the pages about the Piper PA-28 and the Cessna 172. If flying itself appeals to you: the article LAPL or PPL shows which license suits club aircraft like the DR400, and under Private pilot license PPL(A) you can read how the training works.

Conclusion

The Robin DR400 is one of those aircraft you recognize instantly after looking at it consciously once. Bent wing and sliding canopy give you the type, the tow hitch at the tail gives away the tug version, and the registration confirms year of manufacture and engine. It stays exciting because it is so versatile: trainer, touring aircraft and, at many gliding sites, the heart of weekend operations.