I just registered

[Guest Topend]

Hi,

 

My name is Dave and am considering building Jabiru J430. You should see a few posts from me pop up elsewhere on this site.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave.

 

 

[Guest Decca]

Hiya Dave

 

Welcome to the forums.

 

Where are you at with your flying? Have you got RAAus pilot certificate or CASA licence? (Don't worry it won't matter here either way).

 

What was it made your mind up on a J430?

 

Regards, Decca.

 

 

[Guest Topend]

Welcome to the forums.Where are you at with your flying? Have you got RAAus pilot certificate or CASA licence? (Don't worry it won't matter here either way).

 

What was it made your mind up on a J430?

 

Regards, Decca.

My aviation experience so far:

 

I grew up with aircraft and cattle. My father has a commercial license and owned a 172 which was used to travel away from the property. My grandfather also had a licence dating back to Tigermoths and WWII. He owned a few aircraft over the years including a 182 and four Bonanzas.

 

I used to work on aircraft as an AME. I have done a bit of powered flying here and there but nothing that is logged. I have about 20 hours on gliders but stopped flying about 15 years ago.

 

My plan is to obtain my PPL and then purchase a Jabiru J430 kit. I like the Jabiru as it has a high wing, seats four and space for cargo (subject to weight), cruises at 120kts, uses 25l/hr and is simple. My only concern is engine reliability. I have to do some more research as I suspect any engine issues may have been addressed by Jabiru.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave.

 

 

[Guest Decca]

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Dave.

 

Sounds like you've got it all mapped out.

 

I'll prob get knocked for saying this but I hope you're right about Jabiru having all doubts about engine reliability sorted. There are plenty of experienced opinions here though, & Jabiru themselves will be able to reassure you especially if it comes down to warranty issues.

 

Regards, Decca.

 

 

[Tomo]

My only concern is engine reliability. I have to do some more research as I suspect any engine issues may have been addressed by Jabiru.

G'day Mate, welcome along...

 

Just my opinion regarding the Jab engines; There are two types of mechanical things in this world, stuff thats bullet proof, and stuff that isn't.

 

The Jabiru engine isn't as bullet proof as some other engines, but they will perform to spec's and reliably if maintained correctly, and operated correctly. They aren't as forgiving if you don't do those things compared to say, a Lycoming or what ever.

 

In saying that, I'd fly in a Jabiru engine pretty much anywhere if is maintained properly.

 

 

[Guest Topend]

Thanks for the comments about Jabiru.

 

From what I have read so far the Jabiru can get hot on some cylinders. Preventative measures can include correct tuning of carburetor to prevent too lean mixture, smooth non-swirling airflow into the carburetor to ensure the same volume/mixture to all cylinders and running 100LL so the spark plugs can be monitored for correct combustion/air-fuel ratio.

 

As mentioned already, correct timely maintenance and operating the aircraft within correct limits will go a long toward getting the best reliability. My main concern would be engine failure forcing a landing. The are not many clear paddocks up here, just lots of trees.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave.

 

 

[Guest Topend]

I forgot to mention I believe that Janiru have re-designed the cylinder head for more cooling and introduced baffles to aid cooling around the cylinders.

 

 

[Tomo]

And for best engine life, condition run Premium ULP...

 

Just my opinion from what I've seen, and heard.

 

 

[Guest Topend]

And for best engine life, condition run Premium ULP...Just my opinion from what I've seen, and heard.

Hi Tomo,

 

My research indicated 100LL is best. Can you please elaborate on why PULP is best?

 

Cheers,

 

Dave.

 

 

[Tomo]

Hi Tomo,My research indicated 100LL is best. Can you please elaborate on why PULP is best?

I haven't really looked into what 'they' prefer myself, though my reasons are:

 

#It is certified for PULP use, and PULP is cheaper that 100LL so that's a plus.

 

#Valve guides are of the hardened type, so don't require the lead in 100LL to lubricate them.

 

#Exhaust valves last significantly longer.

 

#Spark plugs don't foul up as much, due to not having to deal with the lead in 100LL (100LL still has lead in it... some argue that because it says low lead it's not much, but it's there! Now lead is great on the lubrication side, but Jab engines run very happily without it.)

 

#Mechanically thinking running PULP in the Jabiru engine is the ideal fuel.

 

#PULP runs cleaner, as mentioned above regarding valves.

 

Downsides of PULP

 

*Very hard to ensure you are getting correct fuel, (98 RON is ideal)

 

*Storage isn't good, fuel gets old pretty quick

 

*Nearly every fuel these days has Alcohol added, (ethanol etc) which is Ok in small amounts, but ensure you have new components fitted and can handle alcohol based toxins. Never put Alcohol fuels in to an old tank, and lines, it will clean it up nicely, but the rubbish goes through the system. It will also eat at components that can't handle it.

 

*PULP isn't designed for aviation, so it's not quality controlled anywhere near as much as AVGAS.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Ps. Thanks for that BlackRod, It seems I'm on the same wave length with Jab. Mechanically speaking PULP is the best, costumer relations and monitoring, better to use AVGAS by the sounds of it.