Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Two-seat training and recreational monoplane

Power Plant:

One 45 kw (60 hp) Jabiru Aero four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The Jabiru was designed and built originally by a company known as Avtech Pty Ltd, which was formed in 1988, and which subsequently became known as Jabiru Aircraft Pty Ltd. The Company developed a light aircraft known as the Jabiru at Bundaberg, QLD.

Two prototypes were manufactured and flown, these becoming VH-JCA (c/n 0001) first registered on 4 August 1989, and VH-JQX (c/n 0002) first registered on 20 September 1989. These aircraft were powered by the 48 kw (65 hp) Rotax 582 two-cylinder two-stroke engine. The Australian Type Certification under CAO 101-55 was issued in October 1991. After test flying VH-JQX (c/n 0002) was decommissioned and reduced to spares, having by late 1990 flown 350 hours.

During 1990 a further prototype was built (VH-LIP – c/n 0003) fitted with a 45 kw (60 hp) KFM 112M engine built in Italy. This aircraft was registered on 20 September 1989. Subsequently the type entered production and became available in 1991, the first 21 aircraft having the KFM engine.

Built to meet different ANO’s the Jabiru series could be supplied as an ultralight, homebuilt in kit form, or as a built up complete aircraft. The type became very popular with examples being supplied all around the world including to New Zealand, the USA, the United Kingdom, Norway and Portugal.

In 1992 the KFM engine became unavailable and the Company, Jabiru, designed and built its own [2200 cc] 45 kw (60 hp) Jabiru four-cylinder engine which has also been built in some numbers, power later being increased to 60 kw (80 hp). This engine was supplied to builders of many other types of homebuilts. In later times the Company built a [3300 cc] 90 kw (120 hp) six-cylinder engine for light aircraft use, and developed a 134 kw (180 hp) eight-cylinder engine for aircraft use. Early production Jabirus had a fuel capacity of 50 litres (11 Imp gals) and G limits were +6.6/-3.3.

The first Jabiru kit model was the SK, first flown in 1995, which was the 66th production aircraft. The first kit was shipped to the United States in June 1995 and approvals were obtained in New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the USA during 1996. The Jabiru series was manufactured using fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) technology, a system which offers light weight as well as high structural integrity, clean aerodynamic design and minimum maintenance. The first certified model with Australian certification was the Model ST in 1994, the first being the 50th Jabiru completed.

A number of models were made available and they could be fitted with a tricycle or a tailwheel undercarriage. Variants have included the LSA55 with a short fuselage and short wing for AUF regulations; ST3 similar for general aircraft registration; SP and UL, which were available in kit form. The UL-450C was designed specifically for the UK market and had winglets and an anti-spin parachute in the tail.

Over 800 examples were built and five basic models were available: LSA5S factory completed to AUF regulations; ST-3 factory completed to general aviation aircraft registered standard; SK amateur-built with short fuselage; SP amateur-built with long fuselage; and the UL amateur- built with longer fuselage and extended wing.

The Jabiru class of light aircraft proved very popular over the years. The number of variants produced to meet the requirements of customers and various statutory authorities around the world is too many to include here. Most in this region were constructed to what was Australian Ultralight Federation Rules, which in 2004 became Recreational Aviation Australia Regulations.

Certified models in 2006 included the UL-C, UL-D, J-160 and J-230; whereas kit models included the SP, UL, J-160, J-170, J-200, J-230, J-400, J-430, J-250 and J-450. At the RAA Natfly event at Narromine, NSW at Easter 2007 the popularity of the Jabiru was shown when some 66 examples attended.