1971 Ceapr Robin DR-253 Régent

Description

The seller are pleased to have just exclusively listed this Robin DR.253 B Régent. The aircraft is currently hangared with us at Henstridge Airfield in the South West of England.

A genuine four-seat tourer, this cantilever low-wing design offers comfortable cross-country capability without sacrificing the docile handling the DR family is known for. Fixed, conventional tricycle undercarriage with wheel pants keeps drag to a minimum and maintenance straightforward, while the single-engine layout and roomy cabin make it a practical choice for family flying, touring, or simply building hours in a well-mannered aeroplane. Like almost all Robins of this era, the airframe is of wood and fabric construction, built around the classic Jodel-derived “cranked wing” that gives the type its excellent handling and forgiving stall characteristics.

The DR.253 B Régent traces its lineage back through the Robin DR.200 family, itself a further development of the Jodel DR.1050M Ambassadeur. The distinctive wing configuration that defines these aircraft was the result of a collaboration between Pierre Robin, Jean Délémontez and Chris Heinz, blending Jodel’s aerodynamic pedigree with Robin’s own refinements. First flown in 1967, the Régent was the aircraft that introduced tricycle undercarriage to the DR.200 range, a layout that would go on to become standard across every subsequent Robin design. It sat at the top of the DR.200 family alongside the tailwheel DR.250 Capitaine, sharing that model’s 180hp Lycoming O-360 engine and fixed-pitch propeller. Around 150 examples were built before production gave way to later Robin types. The type was originally produced by Centre Est Aéronautique at Dijon, the company Pierre Robin had founded to build on the earlier Jodel designs. In 1969, CEA changed its name to Société des Avions Pierre Robin, under which banner the DR.200 series continued to be developed and produced. The Régent carries the ICAO Aircraft Type Designator DR253.

Performance is respectable for a fixed-gear tourer of the period, with a 75% cruise in the region of 120 knots, a useful load approaching 1,130 lbs, and a rate of climb of around 1,300 fpm — figures that make the Régent a genuinely capable cross-country machine rather than merely a docile trainer.

Uniform Bravo is a lovely example of the marque, combining the light, harmonious controls the DR series is loved for with genuine four-seat practicality — ideal for anyone looking to step up from a two-seat trainer into an aircraft capable of taking the whole family away for the weekend, or simply looking for an economical and characterful tourer to enjoy.