Missing plane from Gympie yesterday

[Jaba-who]

Probably relating to the 8 cylinder engine. I don't think there are many of THEM flying and I don't think they are still made. Nev

Yeah nev. You're right. Went back and read the previous posts after I'd posted mine and read the several posts that explain it.

 

Way off topic - Interesting situation I noticed is that I sometimes don't get posts and then they appear at a later time but in their appropriate place in the thread. I suspect my iPad might do some odd caching.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Probably relating to the 8 cylinder engine. I don't think there are many of THEM flying and I don't think they are still made. Nev

 

Yep. Jab no longer produce the 5500 engine (8 cylinder).

 

Scuttlebutt is they had too much trouble with cooling issues.

 

Jabs story is they were predominantly made for a specific market ( a local kit builder who made spitfire replicas) which subsequently closed down. No market so they stopped making them.

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

If you go to Kitplanes, Completions, his Jab 258 is there from 2010 or 2011. Can't post a link as my mobile broadband is Sooo Slooow, insufficient to run a speed test at 70kb. It is a credit to Ian that Rec Fly is one of the few sites that works at that speed.

 

Sue

 

 

[Guest bluespot]

link referred to?

 

http://kitplanes2.com/blog/2011/01/j258/

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

link referred to?http://kitplanes2.com/blog/2011/01/j258/

Yes that's Robs J258.........

 

 

[red750]

16:42 20/04. Nine News. Wreckage found - not a good outcome.

 

 

[rhysmcc]

Skynews is saying the wreaking has been found NW of Gympie, but no other details.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Skynews is saying the wreaking has been found NW of Gympie, but no other details.

Channel seven has just said the wreckage was found 36 klms from Gympie and unfortunately the pilot was found deceased.

 

 

[red750]

Six km northwest of Woolooga.

 

 

[Guest john]

The actual location of the wreckage is about 6km NW of the small township of Woolooga Qld, which is in the South Burnett Qld. area

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

Looks like tiger country around there.

 

My condolences to family and friends.

 

Phil

 

 

[shafs64]

My condolences to the family. RIP

 

 

[Guest john]

Yep. Jab no longer produce the 5500 engine (8 cylinder).Scuttlebutt is they had too much trouble with cooling issues.

Jabs story is they were predominantly made for a specific market ( a local kit builder who made spitfire replicas) which subsequently closed down. No market so they stopped making them.

One of the main reasons for the 8 cylinder Jab engine being discontinued was because there had been 3 known forced landings in three of the 3/4 scale size spitfires, which kits are still manufactured in Brisbane & sold around the world. The Brisbane Factory who still builds the scaled down spitfires now installs a Isuzu/Holden V6 engine attached to a reduction gearbox, whereas the 8 cylinder Jab engine was a direct drive engine & had severe harmonic vibrations throughout the engine.

 

 

[AVOCET]

Oscar

 

 

[AVOCET]

My condolances to family & friends ,

 

My family came close to getting that phone call , they are devistated , as am i ,

 

Cheers , no , not realy

 

 

[RobynD39]

So sad. And so long for his family to have to wait for the news. Thoughts are with family and friends.

 

Robyn and Bob

 

 

[kaz3g]

Robs machine was a custom Jab with an 8 cylinder up front and the large export only (US- J250 ?) wing. Rob has manufactured several Jabs in the past and had good links with the factory. he called it the J258.Of late he has done a lot of flying in his latest home built the Bushboar including a trip recently to the Easter Fly-in at starke field near Townsville. Both aircraft were hangared together at Gympie.

I met him with a party of fellow fliers at Curtin Springs last year and his passing is a sad loss to the aviation community.

 

Kaz

 

 

[01rmb]

Rob was a true gentleman who was very happy to help out his friends and fellow aviators. He assisted me with sorting out a tricky problem with my aircraft when I first got it for no more than the love of helping out and a bottle of wine.

 

An extremely sad day - he will be missed.

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Condolences to friends and family. For their sake, I hope they get an answer to "What happened?"

 

 

Sue

 

 

[ianwells]

So Sorry to hear this bad news

 

 

Here is Rob with the Bush Boar camping in the Simpson desert last August. RIP Rob. We will miss you.

 

 

[Doug Evans]

A friend will be missed bye many an aviator from the north,Rob was a man that love too fly and build aircraft his heart is with his family which he's love of flying enable him to spend many hours with his grand children and family here in the north we as fellow aviators are bless to have know a great ambassador of our sport He will be missed .

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Rob ( Cntr) enjoying the company of fellow aviators at the recent Easter flyin at Starke Field Townsville, which he flew to in his hybrid STOL the 'Bushboar'. We saw Rob often up here as he has a daughter and grandchildren which he adored living in nearby Ayr. Rob and his family were cane farmers in the North before settling in the area South of Gympie. I had the pleasure of overnighting with Rob and his parents after stopping in Gympie this time last year, to look at the just flown 'Bushboar' , his latest homebuilt project. They will feel his loss immensely . Rob was always free to share his vast knowledge on aircraft, as a builder, designer and user. It was always a pleasure to enjoy his company and friendship, which he held back to no one, and we will all miss him greatly. The sport has lot a giant and true gentleman. RIP Rob.

 

 

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Robs Bushboar at Starke Field recently. This is the aircraft he flew on the recent Kimberly- centre trip. A very successfull original design that performed as expected showing the unlimited skills that Rob possessed.

 

 

 

[rick-p]

A very sad day for all his family, friends and fellow aviators. Please good people cease drawing conclusions as to the cause of Rob's demise, let the experts who will soon have all the information available to them, draw an informed conclusion. It saddens me that whenever a Jab is involved in an accident it is immediately assumed that the motor is at fault. This accident was a catastrophic event, probably mid air. There was no radio transmission or beacon activation which indicates a without warning, sudden event occurred. This is the second time in 12 moths that our club has lost a much loved by all member and it is a lot of hurt for a lot of people at this time so lets just continue to pay our condolences to his family without any assumptions at this time about the cause of the incident.

 

 

[biggles5128]

It astounds me that because we choose to fly aircraft that have numbers instead of letters we are not afforded the same investigative measures when something goes horribly wrong. I understand that it is a financial situation, we are all part of the flying community and as such it is encumbert on the government to afford the same investigative measures of a VH registered craft. I would be happy to read my magazine on line and have the money saved go towards paying for appropriately qualified people to find the cause of accidents within RAA. With so much conjecture and bias the truth often never is revealed. I was sitting in my hangar last Sunday morning drinking coffee with new friends, they took off from my place and within 20 minutes they were no longer with us..... I would dearly like to know some answers as would many others. I know this is now with the coroner but I wonder how in depth the investigation will be.

 

I am feeling quite sad at the moment hearing of yet another of our brothers who has fallen, it clearly doesn't matter if your aircraft is powered by a Jabiru or a Rotax the end result is the same, for xxxx sake let's find out why so that all can be safer doing what we love.

 

Sorry for the passionate rant.