Jabiru J230 Review
 Looking at the RAAus registered Jabiru J230, I immediately felt impressed - its size, spacious interior, the winglets, and general look of this aircraft...for an RAAus registered aircraft, this one is impressive. It falls under the newer 'LSA' category, which allows for a MTOW of 600kg, rather than the normal 544kg.
The pre-flight checks are all pretty much the same on all the Jabiru models, which makes it a very easy transition when flying between them. Even the numbers (stall, landing, and rotation speeds) are all pretty much the same - making it ideal for the pilot that flies the other Jabiru types regularly. The main notable difference is the cruise speed...the J230 will cruise easily at 120kts, and thats at a fuel burn of around 23lt's per hour. The other main difference is the amount of right rudder needed in climb - it is a lot! That 6 cylinder motor really pumps out the power, however, it also gives a lot of adverse yaw!!
The J230 is powered by the Jabiru 3300, 6 cylinder motor...it sounds great! The higher power is very noticeable when you pump up the volume...making for a very short field take off!
Once strapped inside the spacious cockpit, it feels pretty much like a J160, except for the higher nose...but forward visibility is a lot better than the C152/172 or PA28 (IMO). The main noticeable difference in this Jabiru model is the space behind you - its like a station wagon back there! There is a rear door to access your luggage, which makes it very convenient for loading and unloading!
Taxiing was pretty much the same as any Jabiru, direct pedal controlled nose wheel with a central hand controlled break (no differential breaks)...makes tight turns impossible - but it works ok. The dual controlled central stick and arm rest make for very comfortable flying, with the throttle control on the dash next to the door on the far left within easy reach. There is also a throttle on the pax side on the far right. The J230 that I flew had fairly standard instruments, with an easy to read EFIS screen with all the essentials displayed, and a centrally mounted Garmin moving map colour GPS. I think it is a Garmin 296 - very easy to use and read.
 Powering this machine up is impressive - it is at rotation speed in NO time flat! The J230 has very good short field performance...Rotate at around 35-40kts, initial climb is 65kt accelerating to 70kts with 1 stage of flaps. Flaps away at around 200' and she accelerates quickly to 80kts giving around 800+ ft per min climb. A really good performer!
Once set up in cruise with around 2900rpm she will sit on 120kts easily...not bad at all.
The controls are tight and touchy - very little input is needed to achieve smooth turns, and attitude adjustments. However, this is definitely a "stick and rudder" aircraft...to turn, a lot of rudder is needed to keep it balanced - unlike a lot of the GA trainers, where rudder seems optional. I found that it is important to have this aircraft trimmed out perfectly for comfortable flying, but once trimmed up and in balanced flight, this is a very precise and smooth aircraft to fly. Where as the J160 can be a little bit more of a handful, particularly in turbulence, the J230 is a lot more gracious, stable, and easy to fly.
Most of the flying characteristics are similar to the J160, but the J230 just seems to have that "larger plane feel" about it - the J230 reminds me of a heavier a/c than it really is...it is a good plane for those who are used to GA aircraft. This is one of the closest aircraft, that I have flown under the RAAus banner, to give the feeling of a heavier GA aircraft.
There is 2 stages of flap, electronically controlled, which are adequate. This aircraft has a glide ratio of 12:1, so making sure it has slowed down early in circuits is essential - unless you want to float on for 500m in the flair! No matter what conditions I landed in, cross wind, short fielders, gusts, etc, the J230 is a delight to land...almost seems as though she lands herself (if set up right)! A much easier aircraft to land than the J160, which takes a little more work to land anywhere near as well as the J230. Im sure those huge wings and winglets have something to do with the smooth and easy landings.
 All in all, this would have to be one of my favourite RAAus registered aircraft that I have flown to date. This is a pleasure to fly, and has an impressive cruise speed of 120+kts, which makes for a much quicker and more comfortable cross country flying experience than some of the other Jabiru models. If you are not in a rush, then the J160 or J170 models will do fine, but if speed and comfort is your thing - have a look at the J230!
My overall rating of the J230:
I don't give this away very oftern, but, 10/10 to Jabiru for this one - I would highly recommend this model to anyone who loves to fly (newer) recreational aircraft, but prefers the feel of a much larger GA aircraft - without the expense. The J230 that I test flew is hired out at $120 per hour from Inbound Aviation (YBLT) Ballarat, Vic. Not bad when you consider thats $1 per nm...
I am very impressed with the J230D - I will definitely be flying this Jabiru again - For my money the J230 is definitely my preferred aircraft of choice!
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.
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