Sport Pilot Talk

So I’m still on the lookout for an air machine. This just popped up, and I want to find out more about it. I know that Jabiru engines have had a spotty safety record. Any knowledge & real-world experience most welcome!

https://www.barnstormers.com/listing.php?userid=220143

I would certainly not consider myself an "expert" by any means, but I did take the Jabiru maintenance course a few years back. I went with a buddy who had just purchased a Zenith CH-750 with a Jabiru 3300 engine. The course was excellent, and one of the things that was discussed was the reported "issues" with the engine. At that time (roughly fall of 2010), most of the bigger issues were with the 2200 engines (80 HP). Most of the reported issues with the 3300 engines had their roots in one of two areas: 1) lack of familiarity with the carburetors used on that engine, and 2) high CHTs due to poor baffling and/or poor mixture control. Many of the "high CHT" issues were in airframes with very low cruise speeds, like my buddy's CH-750. He paid a lot of attention to tuning the carburetor (per the course we attended), cleaning up the airflow into and out of the cowling, and tightening up the baffling so there were no "leaks" past the seals. One other thing he did was to install an X-shaped "flow controller" in the carburetor inlet (downstream from the filter). By rotating it slightly (like maybe 10º at a time) to change the alignment of the "X" portion, he found it would alter the "balance" of the carburetor, reducing the differences in CHTs and EGTs between the cylinders. He would tweak the flow controller position, then fly the plane, and record the results from his engine monitor. Within a few flights, he managed to get all four CHTs very closely matched. After doing all those things, he had no problems with high CHTs, despite our 105º F summer temps here in the Dallas area. That's just one data point, but he was a diligent mechanic who used to build and race rally cars.

To make a long story short, while I would prefer to fly behind a Rotax, my next choice of engine would be the Jabiru 3300 series. I would check to ensure all the SBs have been complied with, or make it so myself. But having a Jabiru engine would not at all deter me from buying an airplane I otherwise liked.

The Jabiru airframes themselves seem solid. When I was attending the LSR-I course (Rainbow Aviation had one at Denton, KDTO), the hangar we used for the classroom was provided by the Jabiru importer (US Sport Planes, Denton TX), and he had two different models (J-170 and J-230) in that hangar that belonged to their flight school. They were quite nice – very roomy cabins, with HUGE baggage area. We were all really impressed with the aircraft. About the only thing I didn't like was that the wing was quite low to the ground, meaning I had to stoop over quite a bit to go under the wing and to enter the cabin. Once there, it's a nice environment!

Thank you so much for that comprehensive and informative post, Jim. I’ve got lots more research to do!