Jabiru Aircraft

3300 on amphibious floats at the Canadian Aviation Expo, 2004 The company was formed in 1988 by Rodney Stiff and Phil Ainsworth to manufacture affordable light aircraft in kit and certified forms. In October 1991, the first aircraft (Jabiru LSA 55/2k), was certified by the Australian Civil Aviation Authority. Due to the original engine manufacturer, Italian American Motor Engineering ceasing production of the KFM 112M aero engines, the company started development of its own engines, and by 1995 the Jabiru 2200, a horizontally opposed four-cylinder air-cooled aviation engine, was available for delivery. Since then the six-cylinder Jabiru 3300 and eight-cylinder Jabiru 5100 have been added to the range. Also in 1995, it was decided to offer the aircraft range as amateur-build or experimental self-build kits. The microlight version of the Jabiru two-seater aircraft, the Jabiru UL, holds two world speed records for three-axis microlight aircraft. These were set over 50- and 100-kilometre predefined courses and certified by the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale). ==Aircraft==

Factory-built Early Models • LSA - configured to meet ultralight regulations • ST3 - configured to meet general aviation regulations • UL-D - configured to meet UK Microlight regulations Current Models • J120 - 2 seater with 80 hp engine • J160 - 2 seater with 80 hp engine • J170 - 2 seater with 80 hp engine • J230 - 2 seater with 120 hp engine • J432 - 2 seater with twin offset 80 hp engines Kitplanes Early Models • SP - Light aircraft version • SP-T - Taildragger version of SP • UL - export version to meet European microlight regulations (Calypso) • UL-T - taildragger version of UL • SK - two-seat aircraft (group A version) • J200 - two-seat aircraft • J400 - four-seat aircraft • J450 - four-seat aircraft with STOL wing Current Models • J430 - four-seat aircraft with winglets for best compromise between STOL performance and speed ==Engines==

Jabiru produces its own range of lightweight, four-stroke, horizontally opposed, air-cooled engines, specifically designed and engineered for use in aircraft. All engines are direct drive and are fitted with alternators, mufflers, and dual ignition systems as standard. Over 3,900 four-cylinder engines and over 2,900 of the six-cylinder engines have been produced. Early Models • Jabiru 1600; four-cylinder horizontally opposed engine • Jabiru 5100; eight-cylinder horizontally opposed engine Current Models • Jabiru 2200; or four-cylinder horizontally opposed engine • Jabiru 3300; six-cylinder horizontally opposed engine In November 2014, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) required passengers to sign an acknowledgement of risk before flying, and restricted IFR-equipped aircraft to day VFR flight within gliding distance of a safe place to land. In the following two years, CASA inspectors witnessed the tear-downs of failed Jabiru engines and also high-time engines that had not failed. In 2016, this resulted in exemptions to these restrictions for all aircraft that complied with the manufacturer's engine maintenance manuals, service letters, bulletins, flight operation manuals and that had no unapproved modifications. Both the manufacturer and Recreational Aviation Australia (RA-Aus) opposed the restrictions as unnecessary and unwarranted. RA-Aus reported that it was supplied with only a fraction of CASA's source data – just a day before submissions closed – and that CASA seemed to have excluded all engine reliability data post-"early 2014". ==See also==