quentas

nice and challenging, keeps you on your toes. Its good to see unusual photos of airstrips. I probably wouldnt have picked it from altitude. Thanks Brent.

I think the main impression I got from 1st solo was the plane pretty much jumped into the air and climbed much better, (I dont notice that these days as much) then I realised I had to get the plane down by myself along with the stark realisation of what can happen if I get panicky, then its `fly the plane etc`. Im sure the instructor was as nervous as I as he walked from the threshold back to the terminal. It is probably the biggest achievment in flying, even more so than getting your licence in my opinion. Cheers, Q.

Hi, Has anyone had to match Jabirus Matterhorn white paint with an equivalent auto paint? If so, what is the name of the auto paint equivalent? Thanks for any help. Q.

Instructor knows best at this stage. I know you can get overloaded when learning to fly. Check the NTSB by month page and count how many (first) solo crashes have occurred, they are not hard to find. I consider the 230 as a reasonably high performance aircraft that is easy to fly but it can still catch you out if you are not paying attention. Have fun and be safe.

I dont think Ive ever seen a tow bar for a Jab as they are so light, you can wheel them around by the tail.

Hi, Have any of you Jab drivers had any experience with converting hydraulic lifter engines back to solids to extend the life of the motor or have Jabiru fixed the problem with the latest cam change? I would be interested to know how many Jabs (hopefully most) make it to the 1000 hour top end OH.

I have nearly tidied up a lot of the daggy features of my factory built Jab like door seals falling off and door panels glued on with spit. There are other things like fuel lines kinked and connecters not tightened and spat bolts dropping out on ferry home. Having said that, I prefer to fly the Jabby to my 172 as it goes faster and I think it handles great on a lot less fuel. I saw a new J120 at NRM and it appeared very well finished (maybe for the show?) Once Jabiru get the quality control close to that of a technam or sportstar, then they will be THE leaders in LSA.

Jabiru have a small panel and a large panel option on the `J` planes. You can sit a 495 on top of the small panel but I dont think you could on the large panel because the large panel is very close to the windsheild.

I have a J230 and feel quite comfortable flying it. I have seen some broken Jabs where people have `walked away` yet the wrecks were rebuildable. They are very tough although only as safe as the pilot of course. Because of the shear amount of Jabs flying, they will appear to be over represented in the accident sections.

I installed a new Deka battery in my 230 and I cant believe the difference! It fires almost instantly as the battery has heaps of grunt. I got one on the advice of several Jab owners on the eyre pen and they swear by them. They are slightly bigger than the Odysey though.

I reckon I burn 23-24 lph at around 118kts with 2800rpm (J230) Tis nice to know you can see over 100 GS on most nice flying days in a head wind.

I forgot to mention heavy rubber floor mats stop the `drum` effect on the floor and make things more quiet.

If the 230 were built by cessna/cirrus, it would probably be far better in the finer details but also much more expensive Im sure. Value for money, they are exceptional, fly great and economically. If you leave it out in the rain, invest in a cover as they do collect water (you can drill holes underside to let it out) and keep a jump start kit close by for cold days on the first start. I love the fact that Im getting along at 120 knots on 22 lph. Good boot space too for fold up bike and tent etc. Another tip is use a make up mirror to check fuel level when refuelling, you dont need a ladder then. It wont be long before kids look at a 230 and say `Dad, look at the cessna`. they are multiplying at a very fast rate.

I have just recieved a jumper kit from Jabiru with a letter stating Jabiru is working on the `cold start` problem. I am please this has been acknowledged by Jabiru. I feel they will conquer all when this problem is fixed, they are as I have said before, a sensational airplane to fly.

Wouldnt it be nice to jump in, turn the key, and press the button and hey presto...it starts!! (Just like my 1962 172 Cessna)

hoorah!! maybe some light at the end of the tunnel. I have been trying to press this problem home to Jabiru but their tech people tell me its `maintenance` issues. I have a 46 yo cessna that has NEVER let me down yet my 8 mo J230 has let me down EVERY time since the cold kicked in. Having said that, the J230 is a fantastic aircraft once it has been started in the morning and I think Jabiru would sell bucket loads more of them IF they sort out this ANNOYING start problem. I know they dont want people hand starting them but a slower firing coil would fix all.

go 496..5 times the refresh rate

If Jabiru could make an ignition system that will fire the plugs at 200rpm on the starter on a cold day then I would be happy. It seems everything has to be absolutely perfect for a successful Jab start on a cold morning and attaining the magical 270rpm with a combustable mixture in the cylinders seems more like a dream for me. It seems most Jab owners are quite content with pouring hot water/heating/jumpstarting etc and accept it. I love the 230 when its running but many times Ive been standing next to it on a cold morning with cowls off jumpstarting it whilst `other` aircraft taxi by. I feel the best fix would be a better ignition system full stop then forget about the plug gaps/oil type/starter sprays/jumpstarts/external power receptacles /lith batts etc...PLEASE Rod, make this happen.

Thanks for the info. Now the big question....How much? Even RRP for now will do for an idea.

I have a J230 which is a stubborn machine to start in the cold and I am VERY interested in this battery. My only concern would be the lightness of this battery for CofG purposes as I think I need more weight in the front than the back. I have noticed it flies slower when loaded up with luggage in the back. I think it may have something to do with gettin`on the step` with less AoA. Do factory J230 aircraft have weight in the tail that can be compensated for by a lighter battery? (I know this is engineer territory) P.S. a starter spray like `start yer barsard` does wonders first up on a cold day.

I have just returned from a trip north in SA and paid the equivalent of $2.80 per litre (including callout) for avgas. If I had bought mogas in the town, the difference would have paid for my accomodation. I would be interested to find out avgas prices in outback places. On a long trip, it makes a huge difference to the budget.

If the 230 didnt have the vertical wingtips, it would fit nicely under the cessnas in my hangar

Im not sure if the 200/400 are much faster than 230/430. I get 118 indicated (in J230D) at 2800 down low. They may be a knot or two faster but it would be hard to tell. I reckon a good feature of the newer 230/430 is the `shaped` seats which are lower and more comfy than the earlier `flat` style.

If they devalued at the same rate as a motor vehicle the you could probably get one for under $50k. I am intrigued. Some possibilities could be it has been `rebuilt` or maybe some kind of `settlement` involved with a quick sale required, or maybe the owner knows avgas is about to run out real soon!! All silly speculation of course!!;) I guess if it hasnt been sold yet, then it will sell real soon.

do those tyres fit in the spats?