Jabiru 3300 Engine
Direct drive. Air-cooled. Burns 100LL or MoGas. 5 GPH at cruise.
The Jabiru 3300 is a 3,300cc horizontally-opposed six-cylinder aircraft engine designed and built by Jabiru Aircraft in Bundaberg, Australia. It powers the J230, J250, and J430 airframes as well as many experimental and kit aircraft. Direct drive means no PSRU to maintain, no reduction gearing to fail.
Configuration
Horizontally opposed 6-cylinder
Displacement
3,300 cc (201 ci)
Power
120 HP @ 3,300 RPM
Torque
228 Nm @ 2,500 RPM
Cooling
Air-cooled, ram air
Ignition
Dual electronic
Drive
Direct drive (no PSRU)
Fuel
100LL or 91+ MoGas
Fuel burn (cruise)
5–6 GPH
Dry weight
~178 lb
TBO (Gen 4)
2,000 hours
Oil capacity
3.5 qt
The 3300 has evolved across four generations since its introduction. Most flying airframes today are Gen 3 or Gen 4. The differences matter for TBO, parts, and operating cost.
Original solid lifter design. Found in older airframes (early 2000s). 1,000-hour bulk-strip interval. Reliable when flown regularly.
Improved cylinder heads, through-bolts, and valve gear. Standard in mid-2000s production J230 and J250 aircraft.
Hydraulic lifters, roller cam, redesigned heads. 2,000-hour TBO. The version installed in current J230-D aircraft including our N779J.
Latest factory revision with further refinements to cooling and valve train. Available on new-build aircraft from Jabiru Australia.
Most small aircraft engines in this power class — Rotax 912, Continental O-200, Lycoming O-235 — either spin at high RPM through a reduction gearbox (Rotax) or produce less power per pound. The Jabiru 3300 makes 120 HP at propeller RPM with no gearbox in between. Fewer parts. Less to inspect.
The tradeoff is heat. A direct-drive six needs disciplined cooling on climbout and attention to baffling on the ground. Pilots flying behind a Jabiru learn to manage CHT the way Rotax pilots learn to manage coolant. Done right, the 3300 runs cleanly to TBO and beyond.
At 5–6 GPH cruise on either avgas or MoGas, the 3300 is also one of the cheapest certified-class aircraft engines to operate per flight hour in general aviation.
A4Aviation operates three Jabiru aircraft powered by the 3300 — including a Gen 4 J230-D and a Gen 3 J250. Best way to learn the engine is to fly one.