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CURTISS ROBIN
This handsome little Curtiss Robin was typical of the golden age of sport flying
between the two world wars. Built more than 30 years ago, in 1929, it has been
restored to flyable condition. About 700 of these famous cabin planes were made,
powered by the reliable Curtiss OX-5 engine of 115-horsepower. It cruised at 85
miles per hour, and could fly nearly 15 miles on a gallon of gasoline. In 1938,
when speed flying coast-to-coast was the rage, a smiling young daredevil named
Douglas Corrigan built extra fuel tanks into his dilapidated, nine-year-old Curtiss
Robin, and chugged from California to New York. A week later he told people he
planned to go back to California, and took off. But he headed east instead of west,
and 28 hours later landed in Ireland. "I aimed for California," he insisted, but
my compass stuck. I guess I went the wrong way.” A chuckling world immediately
christened him "Wrong Way” Corrigan.
PHOTO BY ANTHONY LINCK
