Jabiru J170 Review

Initially, one of the most noticeable things about the Jabiru J170 is "the look" - it is very pleasing to the eye, and no doubt the owners of this aircraft would spend many hours admiring the beauty of the sleek design! The wings are noticeably longer than the J160 and have the 'winglets' of the J230 - basically it is the J160 body (with a larger elevator) with the larger wings of the J230. This gives the J170 a very modern 'up-to-date' look and feel to this sleek sports aircraft.

The pre-flight check and walk around is pretty much the same as other Jabiru types...no surprises or many differences in pre-flight checks. As I walked around in the pre-flight, I noticed the finish and attention to detail from Jabiru is quite impressive, particularly when you consider the price! Jabiru have done an amazing job with this model...

Getting into this little aircraft is a pleasure - I am 6'1 and found it no problems getting into or out of the J170. Once inside, with my partner in the co-pilots seat, we had ample shoulder room, more than enough leg room, and we had a very spacious overall feeling - there is absolutely no tendency of feeling cramped in this aircraft. The only potential problem that I can see is that the seats are NON-adjustable, and this may create a problem for a "shorter" pilot as the rudder pedals are a fair way forward. The aircraft that I flew had many cushions in the back to remedy this issue (if you didn't quite reach the pedals, by sticking a few cushions behind your back would push you forward in the seat). A better solution in my mind would be to have an adjustable seat. Not really a big issue, but I feel it is worth mentioning in any case.  However, having said that, if you were the only pilot flying this aircraft it would be remedied by adjusting the rudder pedals - which is a feature of this aircraft.

The interior and the instrument panel on the J170 is pretty much the same as the J160. On this particular model there was no 'EFIS' instruments, but that is an optional extra that the purchaser can add to the more than adequate VFR panel. Full dual controls, with side (panel) mounted throttles, a center 'dual control stick', dual trim controls, center brake actuator lever, electric flaps (centrally mounted on the panel), very effective cabin heat, and full featured GPS are some of the features of this impressive little recreational aircraft.

There is plenty of room in the side pockets located on the doors for maps, nav gear, fuel testers, etc...

This particular aircraft has only around 50 hours on the clock - so is virtually brand new. Like the J160 & J230 the center control stick with arm rest is very comfortable for the longer trip.

The J170 is powered by the Jabiru 2200cc 85 hp engine - starting is no problems with no throttle, full choke, and push the button - she jumps into life with ease! Certainly a very reliable engine that Jabiru have developed...

This aircraft is perfectly suited to the cross country flier...full fuel in the J170 is the same as the J230 (being the same wing), a hefty 135lts - this gives the J170 a range of over 1000nm!

This aircraft will easily cruise at 100kts with a power setting of 2850rpm.

The stall speed clean (no flaps) is 45kts, and 40kts with full flaps (even though I found the IAS much lower in testing), certainly keeping a very safe margin between cruise and stall speeds.

After starting up the engine and doing the pre-flight run-ups I was taxiing toward RWY 36 YBLT for a flight to the West of Ballarat to test this aircraft out. As with other Jabiru models, the J170 is very easy to taxi, with its steerable nose wheel, even in cross winds and gusts.

Once lined up I applied full power, the acceleration is not as quick as the 6 cyl J230, but only took less than 10 seconds to reach rotation speed, at which point it was quite different to the handling of other Jabiru's. The aircraft seemed to 'elevate' off the runway with absolute precision. It was as if this aircraft could fly itself, with very little input needed from the pilot. It was a strange sensation, compared to other Jabiru types that I have flown, but had a very positive rate of climb right from the immediate separation of the ground, with absolutely no 'lag' or time to settle into climb speed. She was airborne and she wanted to CLIMB! That is one of the benefits of having such a large wing...climbing is what she is designed for. This aircraft would be WELL suited in the top end of Australia in the 'hot and humid' regions, and is no doubt what Jabiru had in mind when designing the J170.

This aircraft has an absolute positive and stable feel about all axis. Initially, I found I needed a bit more rudder than the J160 to keep her completely balanced, but that took no time at all to master as the aircraft has a rather predictable "feel' about it. This aircraft would be well suited to the new pilots - a very stable aircraft indeed!

In no time at all I was leveling off at 4500' - setting cruise power of 2800rpm, which gave us a cruise speed of around 100kts. Making a few medium level bank turns, I found that there was a little more 'resistance' or 'sluggishness' in the roll compared to the J160 (due to the longer moment), but retained a very positive feel all the same. Once I was used to that extra 'resistance' it was no longer a problem as I quickly compensated for the extra force needed on the stick and rudder. The stability of this aircraft is just simply amazing! Trying out some steep turns helped me to see that this aircraft is VERY well behaved. Once rolled into the turn she stays where you put her, with very little tendency to roll out and no tendency (that I could feel) to 'over roll'. This sure did make me feel at ease with the J170! Right from the start we were best friends :]

Next I tested out the Stall...

The J170 continued to impress me with her amazing handling capabilities, with the stall being an absolute non-event! Unless provoked, the J170 had no tendency to drop a wing, and in fact, could be "flown out of the stall' by applying power and adopting a very slightly lower attitude - losing minimal height. There is really nothing aggressive about this wonderful aircraft - she is a true lady with a personality to match! Certainly a long way from the original Jabiru 1600lsa model, and I believe quite different in handling than the more agile J160. Even in moderate turbulence around the foothills of the Grampians, the J170 was very stable and predictable in all axis. I spent about 1.5 hours getting to know this gentle lady...and she is an absolute pleasure to fly!

Coming into land this gorgeous aircraft confirmed everything that I had learnt about her in the small amount of time I had flown her. Turning base I reduced the RPM back to 1800, once slowed and in the white arc, I applied full flaps (electrically operated), giving us an IAS of around 65kts. She stayed at 65kts all the way down base leg and onto final even though we had gusting conditions and winds of around 20 kts. There was very little that was going to upset this aircraft!

Slowing her down to 60kts over the fence, once over the threshold I reduced power to idle holding the nose level in the flair while progressively applying more and more back pressure until she gently touched down at around 35 kts indicated (even though she stalls at 40kts - I found that with these wings in ground effect they have a lot of extra lift available). With the 20 kt head wind, we were almost hovering! These longer wings come into their own when landing - the float is just unbelievable, while maintaining the same level of stability offered in all other configurations. Just as with the take-off, this aircraft felt as though it could land itself as well - with very little input from the pilot (as long as set up/trimmed correctly).

What can I say?

Even though I am a fan of the J160, the J170 is the first Jabiru that I have flown that I truly fell in love with! This aircraft is just amazing - I simply cannot sing its praises enough!

I think this would be the perfect vehicle for GA pilots to gain a conversion to RAAus on - probably the most like a GA 'feeling' aircraft than any other Recreational Aircraft, and certainly Jabiru aircraft, that I have personally flown before. I honestly cannot fault this aircraft (for the purpose of its build). This is an honest all round capable aircraft that will transport 2 people and full fuel a very long way in a timely and comfortable fashion. There is also ample room (as in the J160) behind the pilot and pax for baggage/cargo/etc (weight allowing).

This aircraft looks the part and certainly performs better than I expected...

Nine out of Ten for this one Jabiru! Well done... 

Aircraft are like a lot of things in this world - they suit different people for different reasons. This Review is just an over view and my personal thoughts, not meant to be a hard and fast rule. I do hope that this review has been helpful or at least interesting to read, and I ask that you also seek another or even your own opinion and experience on this aircraft.