About The Jabiru J170-D - Jabiru J170-D 2020 Pilot Operating Handbook

1.2 ABOUT THE JABIRU J170-D

Jabiru Aircraft have been built in Bundaberg, Australia since the early 1990's. The original was a
small 2 seat aircraft powered by a 2-stroke engine; it had limited range, basic equipment and little
room to spare in the cabin. But this aircraft introduced the Jabiru ideal to the world – an aircraft
which was light and efficient with good handling, good performance and excellent occupant
protection. An aircraft which met all these goals while using modern technology to be cost effective
to own and operate and to introduce newcomers to aviation – people who always thought that
aviation was beyond their reach. Since the time of those first aircraft, Jabiru Aircraft have evolved
dramatically. The current Jabiru models are all far more powerful, spacious and better equipped
than their ancestor while still meeting the Jabiru Ideal.
The Jabiru J170-D was developed with hot climate flying schools in mind. It combines the compact
inexpensive airframe of a J160 with the large wing and elevator surfaces of the J230. This gives it
a very low stall speed making it one of the safest and easiest aircraft for student pilots to learn to
land. It is forgiving of learner-pilot mistakes and the side-by-side seating makes the instructor's job
easy. The aircraft makes an excellent cross-country machine resulting from the high aspect ratio
wing and very low parasitic drag, combined with two large wing tanks gives the J170-D an
endurance exceeding 8 hours and cruise speeds of 100knots (TAS). The powerful engine is
smooth and quiet so that the crew can fly for hours without fatigue from noise and vibration.
On the ground the J170-D is also an excellent performer – The simple robust design allows
maintenance to be carried out quickly and easily to get the aircraft back into the air as soon as
possible. The same Jabiru 2200 engine which provides powerful performance in the air is also
light, simple, easy to maintain and so quiet that people living near the airport barely hear it. The
composite construction allows the aircraft to be both light and very strong – with the J170-D being
designed to an ultimate factor of around +8g / -4g. The fibreglass structure won't rust or corrode,
has an almost infinite fatigue life and like all Jabirus, the J170-D has been designed with a very
strong cabin structure to provide a safety cell for its crew.
Today's J170-D is the latest design of an aircraft model which has been a popular choice with pilots
for many years. The design is thoroughly proven and thoroughly tested – both by Jabiru test
pilots and demanding customers all over the world. It can be extensively customised and thanks
to the wide range of interior options, instrument systems and other optional extras every Jabiru
J170-D is unique. Most importantly, the J170-D still embodies the original Jabiru Ideal and
continues to show people who never thought they could have an aircraft of their own that anything
is possible.
JP-FM-13 Revision:
Jabiru Aircraft
Model J170-D
0 1 2 3
Pilot Operating Handbook
4 28 Feb 2020 Page 1-16