Why do lots of people like Jabiru's

[Harthy]

It is pretty obvious that a large percentage of aircraft onwers in Australia own and fly Jabirus, and without having figures, they are probably the highest.

 

Members in another thread have had a chance to Knock the Jabiru's, and we could quite easily start a thread to knock any brand of aircraft.

 

So lets get to the positives on these fantastic aircraft.

 

I have been a Jabiru owner for over 12 months now, and I am the first to admit that they are not perfect. But hell they are good! I love my Jab more every time I fly it.

 

They cruise well, they are efficent, and are the best value for money aircraft on the market.

 

Some of the new aircarft in other brands are trying to make their aircraft like GA aircraft. One point I noticed in a particular new model that does a bit of chest beating, was the high GA dash to look over (Old fashioned). Jabs don't have these.

 

I once not so long ago had a Jab critic say to me that if you look under the bonnet and in the airframe of his aircraft (new Gyro), it is much more complex looking. I think it was his way of justifying the high purchase cost. Jabiru's are not complex, which is a hugh advantage.

 

Anyway lets add to the list of positives about these aircraft.

 

Harthy

 

(Jabiru Lover)

 

 

[Derby]

you got that right

 

 

[ahlocks]

..So lets get to the positives on these fantastic aircraft......

There's heaps of 'em and the owners are really, really easy to wind up. :thumb_up:;)

 

The engines do sound better than rotax screamers though..:black_eye:

 

Especially the six cylinder...:heart:

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Youve gone and done it now.... I can just see the knockers alredy... 6 pages for a thread called "why do people disslike the jab"...and 3 post's for why do people like the jab.. haha...

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

After you've watched enough aviation documentaries, it becomes obvious that there is one universal truth: pilots most love the aircraft they actually get to fly.

 

Possible conclusions:

 

• All aircraft are great
   
   
  
• They don't know any better
   
   
  
• Stockholm Syndrome
   
   
  

 

 

Take your pick which one applies to you! :)

 

 

[Guest Mad Dave]

I totally agree with that, personally I couldn't care less what I am in: Jabiru, Tecnam, strapped to a box kite, as long as I am flying I can put up with the good / bad points of anything.

 

Like the whole holden / ford thing, I have had several of both, and loved and hated all of them.

 

 

[dazza 38]

you only get what you pay for. Just joking. They are good value for the money. It is good to support a qld company.

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

Like the whole holden / ford thing, I have had several of both, and loved and hated all of them.

LOL. As a non-Australian I'll never understand the rivalry between the two. Seriously, both Commodores and Falcons are bog standard run-of-the-mill family saloons. Nothing exciting about them. Both break way more often and more costly than the same thing from an Asian make.

If you are going to get excited over cars, at least get excited over exciting cars! Or ones that are actually any good!

 

Mind you: we own one Ford that runs and runs, rarely breaks and when it does repairs are cheap: a '99 Laser. (Yeah, it's a re-badged Mazda 323...)

 

 

[bushpilot]

I see that the next Tecnam model is going be 'plastic'....

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

Harthy, you got a nice plane..and you really don't have to justify owning it..the problem with all these aircraft is that they are all going away from the ultralighting basics and most of the latest LSAs are trying to copy their GA siblings (glass cockpits autopilots etc). the tecnam has a fatter instrument panel and more robust airframe/undercarriage more suited to the rigors of ab-initio training and was originally marketed as a C150/2 replacement when released. On the other hand as a private low cost simple to fly and cheap to maintain aircraft, you really can't get more bang for the buck that the Jab.

 

 

[Super Petrel LS]

Before I purchased my first aircraft I certainly did the rounds and inspected as many aircraft as I could. There are certainly some beautiful RA aircraft on the market.

 

To me it comes down to personal taste and what you want to use it for.

 

My personal spec requirements were endurance, instruments, resale, comfort, safety, value for money and that it looks like an aeroplane (there are a few I saw that don't to me).

 

I decided on the Jabiru J160C.

 

On the issue of Jabiru glitches my conclusion was that most (not all) problems can be managed by adhering strictly to the recommended maintenance programs, oils, and rpm's and in most cases there should be little or no problems.

 

I just couldn't justify paying $120,000+ for an equivalent spec aircraft when for $75,000 I could do everything I wanted to do. Once again it comes down to personal choice and ones bank balance.

 

As a side... my Jabiru (and other Jabs also) at the club I'm involved in has the least downtime when it comes to mechanical and electrical problems and costs the least to maintain and service, and any parts I order arrive the next day.

 

See you all I hope at the Bundaberg Air Show in July

 

Cheers

 

visioninaction (Kelvin)

 

 

[Simonflyer]

Whats a Jabiru?

 

 

[jacmiles]

Whats a Jabiru?

Let me explain it for you simon,its an aircraft that is 75% as good as the Technam that you fly but at 75% less the cost.

 

 

[Simonflyer]

[biggles5128]

Yes it is true that aircraft manufacturers and a large proportion of customers are looking for something akin to GA. This can only be a good thing for all. As one of many converted GA pilots I am seeing an organisation go from strength to strength in numbers and privledges. It allows you to fly rag and tube or plastic fantastic while at the same time belong to a family of aviators who are here to fly, not over govern in an arena of red tape and BS. I hope one day that we see night VFR or dare I say IFR in RA Aus. Before some start jumping up and down, I say this as an organisation we are showing the world that we can perform and behave like "real pilots of GA" (tounge in cheek).

 

 

[Ultralights]

2 things i can think of, value for money and aussie built.

 

......

 

thats about it...

 

 

[Yenn]

"I say this as an organisation we are showing the world that we can perform and behave like "real pilots of GA"

 

Biggles, from your above quote I have only 1 comment. RAAus pilots have a better safety record for the past couple of years, I don't know of the hours flown, but I am flying many more hours since I started flying ultralights than I did as a GA pilot and that makes me more current. I suspect that it applies to most of us on this forum.

 

 

[biggles5128]

Yenn, I suspect you are right. I hope you read my comment as intended. To see how far we have come, when in the early days 500ft ceiling and single seats were the rules despite a pilots experience. We now see more and more privledges, although some are only exemptions. It seems like we have to prove more to get more, so be it. Keep on your toes and you will probably live longer anyway.

 

Damn I love this flying caper.....

 

 

[Guest watto]

What can I say, these top aircraft speak for themselves!!! Love em

 

Watto

 

 

[shags_j]

On a serious note I flew the 230d on the weekend. Awesome machine. Is a match for a c172, if not exceeds it. I am thoroughly impressed.

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

On a serious note I flew the 230d on the weekend. Awesome machine. Is a match for a c172, if not exceeds it. I am thoroughly impressed.

Except for the 2 fewer seats! :)

I guess a 430 would be a reasonable alternative for a 172 for some, albeit a bit more squeezy. And less load capacity. And you have to build it yourself.

 

Mind you, the 172 costs 3 times as much, so you would expect something a bit more capable!

 

 

[Guest brentc]

Less load than a 172, check those numbers!

 

J430 basic empty weight = 360'ish.

 

MTOW 760kg's.

 

100kg's of fuel.

 

Leaves 300 kg's of payload, with FULL fuel!

 

(Note: C of G not taken into consideration)

 

A full J430 will out-perform an empty (older model) 172 !

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

You check your numbers! :)

 

The "Model Chart" on the jab website says 700 MTOW, not 760.

 

It also says usable load 360KG, the same as the J230. Did they add these magical weightless Jabiru seats and seatbelts I have been hearing about? Once you kit out the back I'd say you easily lose another 20KG, bringing usable load down to 340.

 

A new C172SP has 381 useful load, but you do need to add more fuel to go as far as a J430. So more likely they are on par. (though not in price or running cost!)

 

Results compared to that 30 year old rust bucket out on the ramp may vary! :)

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

Mind you, if you want to build a 4 seater (what you'd need to do with a J430) that actually takes 4 adults, the best bang for buck has to be an RV-10. 530KG usable, so with enough fuel to match the J430's range (at 160kt!) you can still fit 4 real-life adults and possibly some bags.

 

Of course, it costs a lot more than a J430 (hey, if you need the room, you need the room!) but half of a factory built 4 seater with much less capability.

 

How much is a J430 kit anyway? And completely finished?

 

 

[Guest brentc]

I've checked my numbers thank you very much!

 

The J430 MTOW is NOW 760kg's (Jabiru pls update your website accordingly) and there is even a forum member on here who's running at the new 760.

 

There's not much else out there that carries 2.1 times its' empty weight!

 

PS: The 760kg's has nothing to do with the plans for RA-Aus to have 760 kg's. This would only be of benefit to you if you are operating a J250.