looking to buy a robin 400 or 100/200

[joe609]

Can any body help,im looking to buy a robin 400/140/160 400/180 or a 100/200,have seen a few on the net but there in europe and i dont know the rules to get one imported anybody know these rules ? how diffecult is it to import from eu. I rang the caa,they said ??? we think you should use an agent!.thanks for nowt.:confused: I think it would be great if all the clubs in the uk/europe used the net to post items for sale,

Thanks for your help
new boy joe:ok:

[A and C]

Check your PM's

[Hairyplane]

Hi Joe,

I am biased cos I've got one.....go for the 180 Regent.

135kt cruise, 635 kg empty and 1100kg MAUW, 4 pax, 60 kg of luggage and 6 hrs fuel capacity @ 40 litres ph.

Another permutation :ok: is 2 on board, full fuel, a weeks luggage, full set of covers and 120 bottles of wine.

At MAUW the unfactored take off is 320 metres. It is therefore an excellent strip aircraft.

Why look abroad for a used aircraft? You will always find them here. Check out the Mistral Aviation website. They are the UK agent and always have good aircraft on their books.

Hairyplane

[camlobe]

Hi Joe.

Before you get carried away with the idea of a DR 400-160 or -180, don't discount the DR 400-140. With a 150 Hp engine, the performance figures make a Regent all of a sudden not that great (ah oh, here comes the flak, helmets on). Seriously, this is also a model worth considering. Don't just take my word for it, have a chat with the Robin Owners Club. You may be pleasently supprised.

I would suggest that the DR series be preferable to the HR (wood vs metal). Robin got the wood right. There are questions over the corrosion issue with the metal ones.

With regard to importation from the EU, not really a problem as they are all part of our great and wonderful EASA. There might be a bit of a delay getting the aircraft de-registered from the previous contry of registration, but the whole process is straightforward and any good maintenance organisation will be able to do the import work for you.

As always, get a good survey done on the aircraft prior to purchase, whether it is here or elswhere in the EU. Ensure that any modifications done, including avionic upgrades, are fully documented and approved as this issue alone may delay the award of a UK C of A considerably.

Hope this is of some help.

camlobe

[robin]

There are a fair number of DR400s up for sale at the moment with some dealers bringing French ones to the UK and putting them on the UK register. As well as Mistral, Brian Mills at Cambridge does a good line.

Prices are fairly competitive at the moment, so it might be easier to lewt someone else run through the bureaucratic mill

[joe609]

Thanks Robin,
yes Ive seen both Brian Mills and minstral adds,just thought they might be some one out there that knows of a robin going at there club!




regards joe

[Hairyplane]

Hi Camlobe - the 140 is a great machine. indeed, I used to instruct on the 108 and that is a sweet aircraft too.

The Regent is undeniably the flagship of the current fleet - I don't like the President and believe that the compromises ain't worth the 4 inch wider cabin - cos thats all the President is, a wide-bodied Regent that needs a bigger donk and twiddly prop to pull it through the sky at anything like Regent speeds. Me and Stampe - both fat gits - can sit comfortably side by side in my Regent!

I also agree 100% with your advice on the metal Robins. I wouldn't touch one. Thats why they ain't dear to buy.

Go for a 400 that's already on the UK Register, check that the spar inspection has been done if appropriate.

Even the most abused Robin will rarely suffer from serious wood rot. I see one of our old Headcorn Flying School machines G-BBCH regularly at Turdy.

It is in beautiful condition to this day, in fact - nicer than when we used to hack it. It even lives in a hangar these days!

HP

[Morgo]

Give Dermot @ Exavia (based out of Exeter) a call on 01392 360370. They specialise in Robins and can provide you a very good free, and unbiased, guide on buying one. They have a nice Regent for sale at the moment: G-LEKT (or Katie as Dermot likes to call it). They dont have a website, but Dermot is very friendly and full of good advice on the telephone.