Jabiru J230
The Jabiru J230, explained.
120 knots. 5 GPH. Six hours of fuel. Two seats and a real baggage area.
The Jabiru J230 is a two-seat composite Light Sport Aircraft built in Bundaberg, Australia and flown worldwide since 2003. It is the most efficient long-range LSA you can rent in the United States — fast enough for cross-country, light enough to fly under sport pilot rules, and modern enough to feel nothing like a 1970s trainer.
Jabiru J230 specifications
Performance numbers below are representative for the J230 series operating under US Light Sport Aircraft rules. Individual airframes vary; the airplanes we operate are detailed on the fleet page.
Cruise speed
115–120 kts TAS
Fuel burn
5–6 GPH
Useful load
~620 lb
Fuel capacity
35.4 gal usable
Endurance
6+ hours
Range
~700 nm
Engine
Jabiru 3300 — 120 HP
Stall (clean)
44 kts
Takeoff roll
~700 ft
Empty weight
~750 lb
Max gross
1,540 lb (LSA)
Seats
2 + baggage area
Why pilots choose the J230
Cross-country speed without a fuel bill
115–120 knots TAS at 5 GPH means a J230 covers ground faster than a Cessna 152 while burning less fuel than a 172.
Real range
35.4 usable gallons gives the J230 over six hours of endurance. Dallas to Big Bend nonstop, with reserves.
Built to ASTM LSA standards
Composite airframe, factory-built, certified to international Light Sport standards. No experimental compromises.
Sport pilot eligible
Under MOSAIC and current LSA rules, the J230 is flyable on a sport pilot certificate — no medical required.
The J230 vs. the rest of the LSA market
Most US Light Sport Aircraft are slow. A Tecnam P92 cruises around 100 knots. A Czech Sport Cruiser around 110. The J230 — with its 3,300cc six-cylinder direct-drive engine and clean composite fuselage — sits at the top of the LSA speed range while burning less fuel than nearly anything else in the class.
Against legacy trainers, the math is starker. A Cessna 172 cruises 110 knots on 8–9 GPH. The J230 is faster on roughly half the fuel. A Piper Warrior is similar — the J230 covers the same ground for $30–40 less per hour in fuel.
For pilots time-building, traveling, or simply flying for the joy of it, the J230 is the most economical way to go fast in the United States right now.
Fly a J230 in DFW
A4Aviation operates the largest Jabiru fleet in Texas at KDTO. Members fly from $135/hr wet. $50/month dues. No primary training — recreational, time-building, and proficiency only.