Jabiru J450 User manual

Jabiru
J450
Constructors
Manual
from kit/serial number 659

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Introduction
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 2 of 343
General>Introduction
Welcome to the Jabiru family, and a family it is.
Jabiru is a small aircraft and aero-engine manufacturer located in Bundaberg, Queensland,
Australia. The city has a population of 60,000 and until recently its most renowned export has
been the famous (or infamous) Bundaberg Rum. The Jabiru factory is located on the airport at
the Western edge of town where a staff of 55 craftsmen turns out these fine aircraft and
engines.
We are not just another kit manufacturer; we also build certified aircraft, engines and
propellers and have a quality assurance program fully approved by the Australian Civil
Aviation Safety Authority (CASA); as far as we know we are the only company doing so.
All of our products are original and have been designed, prototyped and produced in house, so
we can support you like no other kit manufacturer can.
Our distributors are fully supported by us and are a ready source of spares and free advice.
You need not have a degree in electrical engineering, an intimate knowledge of hydraulics or
a garage full of tools to complete this aircraft. There are no complex or complicated systems
on this aircraft. The gear stays down, the prop pitch is fixed and a simple switch operates the
flaps. The brakes are hydraulic and the simplicity will delight you.
Your Jabiru kit is designed to be simple to complete and finish, and will provide you with
many years of enjoyable flying.
Once completed you will find the aircraft extremely economical with operating costs more
associated with a car than an aeroplane, and the ease of maintenance will increase your flying
time.
If you're ever in our area call in for a coffee, we'll show you what we're up to and how we
make our aircraft and engines.
Safe Aviating and Happy Landings.
Rodney Stiff, Managing Director

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Constructors manual
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 3 of 343
General>Constructors manual
Welcome to the Constructors Manual!
In this Manual you will find all the instructions that you will need to build your very own
Jabiru, one step or task at a time. Each task in this Manual stands alone, with the intention that
each task will be completed before you move on to the next task. There are many good
reasons for this approach: you can easily keep track of where you are in the build; it forms a
checklist to ensure that nothing gets overlooked; and in many cases a task will be dependant
on the completion of a previous task, and if the sequence shown in the Table of Contents is
followed there will be no issues of this kind.
The Table of Contents of this Manual is also the Build Sequence.
We suggest that you print the Table of Contents out and keep it on the wall in your workshop.
As each task is completed mark it off - in this manner you can accurately track your progress
while ensuring that nothing gets overlooked.
The manual has been arranged into 2 major Sections plus General and Painting sections:
Pre-Paint
Post-Paint
Which have been further Grouped by:
Fuselage
Wings
Each Group is then broken down into Stage, Task and Step as required.
In the main the only sets of tasks that can be done without relation to each other are those
under the Group headings: Fuselage and Wings. Tasks in one group may be worked on
independent of tasks in the other group but the individual sequences under each group really
need to remain intact.
This Manual details the procedures that we have refined over many years of certified factory
builds, all combined with the experience of many kit builders to produce a document that
combines the best of both worlds: efficient, proven factory techniques throughout, but
arranged into a build sequence that meets the needs of kit builders.
For example: the first objective for most kit builders is to get the fuselage up onto its wheels
and mobile as quickly as possible so that the fuselage can be moved around the workshop/out
of the way of the wife‟s car/outside for cleaning/etc. By way of contrast, in the factory the
fuselage remains in a floor-mounted jig for the majority of the Pre-Paint tasks, which is not
usually an option for most kit builders.
Each task contains photographs of the work in progress in our factory, often in a step-by-step
manner in the case of the more complex tasks. While the Manual is formatted in A4 size you
may wish to print some pages in A3 size (if you have a suitable printer) for a clearer view
should that be required. Each task starts on a new page so you can print out single tasks.
As you work through this manual, and we suggest that you read it right through from start to
finish before you start your build, if something is not completely clear please call your dealer
or e-mail us for clarification: it may be that we can better explain something for the benefit of
future kit builders at the same time as helping you.
Enjoy your build!

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Constructors manual
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 4 of 343
Table of Contents
General
General>Introduction................................................................................................................2
General>Constructors manual ...................................................................................................3
General>Tools and equipment...................................................................................................8
General>Glossary ...................................................................................................................11
General>Registration and certification ....................................................................................12
General>Reference documentation..........................................................................................12
General>Unpacking and support .............................................................................................13
General>Composite standard procedures.................................................................................14
General>Aircraft grade bolts and lock nuts..............................................................................17
General>Rod ends...................................................................................................................19
General>Health and safety......................................................................................................20
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Underbody penetrations ..........................................................................21
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Fit ventral fin and trim horn ....................................................................23
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Prepare the fuselage................................................................................26
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Undercarriage>Assemble main wheels....................................................32
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Undercarriage>Assemble main gear........................................................34
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Undercarriage>Fit main gear...................................................................40
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Firewall forward>Fit firewall..................................................................44
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Firewall forward>Firewall fittings...........................................................48
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Firewall forward>Assemble and fit nose gear..........................................54
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Firewall forward>Fit engine mount and engine .......................................61
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Firewall forward>Fit propeller flange extension......................................65
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Firewall forward>Fit oil cooler ...............................................................67
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Firewall forward>Fuel pump fittings.......................................................73
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Firewall forward>Fit ram air cooling ducts..............................................75
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Fit windscreen ........................................................................................79
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Fit control cables and lines......................................................................82
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Empennage>Fit vertical tail fin...............................................................85
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Empennage>Fit elevator .........................................................................94
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Empennage>Fit horizontal stabiliser .......................................................98
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Empennage>Fit rudder..........................................................................103
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Fit cowling............................................................................................108
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Fit flap drive shaft bearing blocks .........................................................116
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Console>Pre-fit handbrake......................................................118
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Console>Pre-fit trim control....................................................121

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Constructors manual
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 5 of 343
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Console>Fit control stick.........................................................125
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Fit rudder pedal mount blocks .................................................129
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Fit aileron cable brackets.........................................................131
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Fuel system.............................................................................136
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Fit seatbelt anchors..................................................................141
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Fit rear seat .............................................................................144
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Pre-fit doors..........................................................................................146
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Fit windows..........................................................................................150
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Wheel alignment...................................................................................152
Pre-Paint>Fuselage>Pre-fit wheel spats.................................................................................154
Pre-Paint>Wings>General.....................................................................................................157
Pre-Paint>Wings>Fit fuel tank filler body.............................................................................158
Pre-Paint>Wings>Prepare wing root .....................................................................................162
Pre-Paint>Wings>Cut aileron cable openings........................................................................166
Pre-Paint>Wings>Fit quick drain sumps ...............................................................................169
Pre-Paint>Wings>Mount flaps..............................................................................................171
Pre-Paint>Wings>Fit wing tips .............................................................................................178
Pre-Paint>Wings>Fit ailerons ...............................................................................................180
Pre-Paint>Wings>Fit pitot tube to strut.................................................................................186
Pre-Paint>Wings>Fit vibration damper to strut......................................................................188
Pre-Paint>Wings>Test fit wings............................................................................................190
Paint>General.......................................................................................................................195
Paint>Masking......................................................................................................................197
Paint>Surface preparation.....................................................................................................198
Paint>Topcoat.......................................................................................................................199
Post-Paint>General...............................................................................................................200
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Fit panel mounted throttle....................................................................201
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Assemble instrument panel..................................................................204
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Electrical wiring diagrams ...................................................................216
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Fit upholstery 1......................................................................222
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Install electrical wiring ........................................................................225
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Fit console controls................................................................237
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Controls>Fit rudder pedals.....................................................242
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Fit flap drive motor................................................................249
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Fit instrument panel housing..................................................252
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Engine control cabling...........................................................255
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Fit the instrument panel..........................................................258
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Interior>Fit upholstery 2......................................................................259

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Constructors manual
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 6 of 343
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Fit rudder, elevator and elevator trim...................................................262
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Fit doors..............................................................................................267
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Firewall forward>Final assembly.........................................................270
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Firewall forward>Fit propeller and spinner..........................................274
Post-Paint>Fuselage>Fit wheel spats.....................................................................................278
Post-Paint>Wings>Install aileron cables................................................................................279
Post-Paint>Wings>Fit stall warning......................................................................................281
Post-Paint>Wings>Prepare wings for fitting..........................................................................283
Post-Paint>Wings>Fit wings.................................................................................................287
Post-Paint>Wings>Connect ailerons .....................................................................................289
Post-Paint>Wings>Connect wing tanks.................................................................................292
Post-Paint>Wings>Fit flaps...................................................................................................294
Post-Paint>Wings>Fit fairings ..............................................................................................296
Testing>General ...................................................................................................................298
Testing>Weight and balance.................................................................................................299
Testing>Rigging check .........................................................................................................303
Testing>Calibrate fuel gauges...............................................................................................306
Testing>Registration markings..............................................................................................308
Testing>Final inspection checklist ........................................................................................309
Testing>Flight testing ...........................................................................................................324
Testing>Forms......................................................................................................................337

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Constructors manual
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 7 of 343
Direction references
In all cases throughout this manual when any reference is made to direction (left, right, front,
forward, rear, aft) it is made relative to the pilot‟s point of view, where the pilot is assumed to
be sitting in the pilot‟s seat facing towards the front of the aircraft.
“Lateral” means something that it is oriented from side to side in relation to the aircraft.
“Longitudinal” or “Fore and aft” means something that it is oriented from the front to the
back of the aircraft.
Preparation
We suggest that you get as much preparation done as possible before starting your build.
Start with your workshop: give it a good clean out and consider upgrading the lighting and
power with plenty of strip lights and extra sockets for power tools. Paint the walls and ceiling
a light colour to provide as light a work area as possible. This will also help if you plan to
prepare the aircraft for painting preparation (filling/primer) and also the topcoat if you feel
you are capable of doing so.
In preparation for storing the vacuum-sealed Build Cards that pack many of the small parts
into convenient groups we suggest that you construct a large wallboard that you can place the
Build Cards on, preferably in numerical order (each Card is numbered) –you will find that
this is much easier and more pleasant than sorting through a box or pile of Build Cards!
For items such as fairings and instrumentation prepare as much protected shelf space as you
can find (some shelving under a workbench can be particularly useful in this instance) and
also make a vertical bin in a cooler corner of the workshop to stand long items like elevator,
rudder and flaps in while building the relevant parts of the aircraft. Reserve an out-of-the-way
area for windows and other fragile parts.
In our factory we use large mobile bench/racks that contain all of the parts for an aircraft and
that rack stays with that aircraft all the way through production.
If you're going to do any painting, try to keep equipment and parts off the floor as much as
possible so that you can sweep/vacuum/hose the place out thoroughly in order to minimise
dust before you start any painting.
Get all of the tools and equipment on the list that starts on the next page.
Read this manual from start to finish to familiarise yourself with the work to come.
Consider getting extra insurance cover for your kit during the build to cover any risks
(fire/damage/theft, etc). Most aircraft insurers will quote for this and many builders consider
that the cost is worth it for the peace of mind that it brings.
Cold climate considerations
If you are building in a colder climate/during winter, some extra heating and insulation in
your workshop will help, as well as keeping the humidity levels up to acceptable levels for
epoxy work. Clearly, all workshops are different and your build inspector will advise.
Get a large roll of bubble wrap packaging sheet (1.5m x 15m) from your local garden centre
or packaging company (usually cheaper). In low temperature environments you will use this
to create an insulated tunnel by draping it over the work you've bonded/flocked and, with the
careful application of warm air from a fan heater, you'll easily achieve the 24°C (or so) you
need for a good epoxy cure.

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Tools and equipment
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 8 of 343
General>Tools and equipment
Before getting started we recommend that you acquire the following tools and equipment:
these tools are not included in the kit and must be supplied by you.
Required tools
The following tools and equipment will be required as a bare minimum to complete this kit:
Allen keys: imperial set.
Aluminium angle: 3 or 4 straight lengths of 20x20x3 angle approximately 2m in length.
Clecoes: Clecoe pliers and at least 20 Clecoes.
Digital Kitchen Scales: (up to 5kg measured in 10
gram increments) for mixing resins by weight, using
the mixing pots provided. Accurate measurements of
small mixes can be made. Slip the scales into a clear
plastic bag to keep them clean –the scale can still be
read through the bag.
Disposable gloves: for handling of epoxy and resin.
Buy a large box from the supermarket or hardware supply store.
Drill bits: 1/8" to ½" normal shank, 5/32" and 3/16" extended shank.
Electric drill: 3/8 chuck, preferably cordless with a variable speed trigger.
Electric hot air (paint stripping) gun: used to 'adjust' some non - structural glass fibre
airframe parts, like doorframes, door stop strips, etc.
Electric soldering iron: for general wiring as well as removing temporary screws.
Files: medium flat, medium and small rat-tail, medium half-round.
Hacksaw blades in holders for cutting in restricted spaces.
Hole saws: 1½" to 2" or metric equivalents.
Masks: disposable paper face masks and/or a half-face respirator with suitable filter elements.
Nylon spring clamps: these come in mixed size bags from
hardware stores and you will use them in a multitude of ways.
Get 2 or 3 bags plus 3 or 4 big individual clamps.
Ring-open ended spanners: 3/8", 7/16", 1/2" and 7mm
Padding: felt or old blankets for various uses.
Pop rivet gun: hand operated or pneumatic.
Sandpaper: various grades between 80 and 240 grit. Detailed in the Painting task.
Screwdrivers: Phillips: small & #2, medium flat blade.
Socket set: ¼" drive: at the very least 3/8", 7/16" and 1/2" sockets.
Torque wrench: for engine/prop fitting, etc. Check the torque settings in the Technical
Manual that shipped with your kit to ensure you get one with the right range.
Trestles: at least 2 required, preferably 4 at about 800-900mm high with carpet covered tops.
Wet and dry bulb thermometer or calibrated hygrometer for the wall of your workshop.

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Tools and equipment
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 9 of 343
Optional tools and equipment
The following tools are not essential, but they will certainly make the job more pleasant:
Air Compressor & Air Gun. You can probably do without this if you plan to contract out
your filling and painting job, but if you intend to prime/fill/paint then you'll definitely need to
use the air gun to clean out crevices and pinholes in the gel coat. If you intend to do all of
your own painting then get a good quality spray gun and a compressor capable of at least
15cfm. You will need to include a good quality water trap too –anywhere that compressors
and air tools are sold will be able to advise you on brands and specifications.
Cordless Screwdriver with various bits (get some spare Phillips #2 bits: those self-tappers
are really hard!)
Dremel Moto-Tool (or similar, cordless and multi speed if possible) used for grinding and
drilling glass fibre in hard-to-get places. Permagrit make some very useful bits for these: the
cut off disc and cylindrical grinding tools can be particularly handy.
Electric or Pneumatic Angle Grinder (4 - 5"), preferably with a vacuum cleaner attachment
to keep dust to a minimum. This is for grinding parts like the trailing edge of the wing above
the flaps. If you can get an adjustable speed one then so much the better. Fit a disc sander
backing pad and use discs between 80 and 240 grit.
Electric or Pneumatic Jig Saw for cutting holes such as the aileron/flap fitting holes in the
wing and other holes in wing/fuselage/empennage.
Electric or Pneumatic Orbital Sander for surfacing filler, preferably with a vacuum cleaner
attachment to keep dust to a minimum.
Industrial Vacuum Cleaner with 'crevice tools' A domestic vacuum may not be up to the
task, and as industrial units are readily available we suggest the purchase of a suitable
machine. You will be surprised how difficult it is to get glass fibre dust out from behind the
seats with just a brush! Get any fittings necessary to connect to your sanders and grinders. We
use several of these units in our factories and the amount of glass fibre dust lying around at
any time is minimal. A very worthwhile investment.
Lock Wire Pliers to put that professional
twist on all of your lock wire.
To use: lock the jaws onto both ends of your
lockwire using the silver lock handle, then
simply pull the “twist” handle at the back of
the pliers and presto, perfect lockwire!
and pull back on the twist handle
Lock the jaws onto both
ends of your lockwire
Lock handle
Lock latch

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Tools and equipment
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 10 of 343
Pedestal Fans to blow fresh air across work surfaces. We use plenty of these in our factory.
Permagrit-type Shaped Abrasive Tools for shaping/sanding glass fibre parts (try to get a set
of various shapes). Or make your own Sanding Blocks as described further down the page.
Pneumatic tools are great if you have a compressor that can drive them –drills, jigsaws,
various sanding tools are widely available. We use plenty of these in our factory too.
Scales for weighing the aircraft: must be capable of weighing up to 150kg. Regular bathroom
scales are fine for this task. A single scale can be used, but these scales are quite reasonably
priced (less than $50 each in Australia currently) and the task is much easier with 3 scales.
Setsquare the long builders type with each side at least 500mm in length.
Silicone Sealer, General Purpose or Roof and Gutter sealer, must suitable for use on metal.
Spade Drill Bits as used in woodwork (pictured at right).
Used to recess the threaded inserts in the ventral fin and the
lower strut fairings.
Straightedge in 2 lengths: a 1 metre builders level type is good for aligning the flaps to wings
and checking the control surface deflections, while a 3 metre long length of 100mm RHS
(rectangular hollow section) aluminium is excellent for checking the rear of the wing and
aligning the horizontal stabiliser: make sure that you buy a straight length with no dents.
Sanding Blocks -stapling 80 grit emery tape around the ends of a length of straight timber
about 600mm long (shown below left) is very useful for achieving straight edges on items
such as trailing edges, flaps, etc. Taping emery tape to a short length of tubing (shown below
right) can be useful for things like the final sizing of the fuel filler body holes in the wing/tank
and so on. You will use plenty of sanding blocks as you progress through your build, and with
a little bit of imagination you can make them in almost any size and shape that you need.
TorqueSeal –brand name security sealing lacquer used to show that nuts have been tightened
to safety or to the recommended torque setting and require no further work. Try aircraft parts
or engineering suppliers for this product. Comes in several colours.
Loctite compounds
This brand name compound is considered essential in the construction of your Jabiru.
Purchase the following grades:
Type Use Appearance
242 Thread locker medium strength Blue liquid
262 Thread locker high strength Red liquid
518 Sealant, form-in-place gasket Red gel
577 Thread sealer medium strength Yellow paste
620 Thread retainer high strength Green liquid
7063 Cleaner –can use Acetone in place Clear solvent, aerosol applicator

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Glossary
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 11 of 343
General>Glossary
Here is a glossary of common composite terms that are used throughout this manual:
Term Description
5-Minute Araldite Quick setting brand name epoxy glue.
AT133 (not supplied) Fibreglass cloth with wide unidirectional strands, which
provides great strength for weight. It is used in the fabrication of
the spar and undercarriage legs.
AT244 This is a standard bi-directional cloth that is used extensively for
plates and other flat surfaces.
AT303 This is a twill weaved cloth that can be moulded into curves and
is therefore used for wing and fuselage skins, cowls, etc.
AT312 A 2” wide glass tape.
AT313 This 3” wide glass tape is used to joint other glass structures.
The edges of glass tape do not fray like glass cloth.
Body Filler –(bog) Lightweight automotive filler used in paint preparation.
Clecoes Patented reusable fasteners used to align parts prior to flocking
and fixing with pop-rivets. Store in Acetone to keep them clean.
Coremat Lightweight core material used to make sandwich panels.
Flock Low-grade short fibre reinforcement for resin. Also used as a
verb: to “flock something into place” for example.
Gelcoat White polyester resin film used on exterior of supplied
fibreglass parts to provide a smooth finish.
Glass Fibreglass cloth. Also describes the process of wetting fibreglass
cloth into a mould or onto parts: to “glass something into place”.
Joggle Recessed step where 2 surfaces are to be flush joined.
An example is the joggle around the windscreen and windows.
Lay-Up Resin wetted fibreglass cloth laid into a mould or onto parts.
LC 3600 Epoxy Epoxy system used on all structural parts.
LC 3600 Hardener ¼ part of LC 3600 epoxy.
LC 3600 Resin ¾ part of LC 3600 epoxy.
Peel Cloth To provide a surface that requires minimal preparation before
bonding, polyester cloth is included as the top layer of a glass
lay-up. The cloth is simply „peeled off‟ and the surface beneath
is ready for bonding, hence the name.
Polyester Resin Resin system that uses a catalyst to cure. Does not provide good
structural properties like epoxies, and for this reason is not used
on any structural parts in your Jabiru.
Q-Cells (not supplied) Inorganic micro-spheres mixed with resin and used as a
lightweight filler, usually used in paint preparation.
Resin Generic term used to refer to the LC3600 epoxy/resin mix.

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Registration and certification
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 12 of 343
General>Registration and certification
The accuracy of records and correct administrative procedures are just as important as the
quality of workmanship in your project.
By now you should have established the regulations under which you will build your aircraft.
In Australia you have two options:
1. Experimental Rule
2. CAO 95.55 Amateur-built Ultralight Category
Option 1 is administered by the Sports Aircraft Association of Australia (SAAA)
Option 2 is administered by Recreational Aviation Australia (RAA)
Aircraft built under Option 1 can only be General Aviation (VH-) registered and must carry
“EXPERIMENTAL” markings.
Aircraft built under Option 2 can only be registered with the RAA and must carry “19” series
registration numbers.
You should consult the appropriate administrative association on their requirements for
documentation, inspections and project administration.
Contact details are: Sports Aircraft Association of Australia (SAAA)
PO Box 169
Clifton Hill, VIC 3068
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Recreational Aviation Australia (RAA)
PO Box 1265
Fyshwick, ACT, 2609
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Internationally you will need to establish the requirements for building your aircraft under the
appropriate regulations governing amateur aircraft building in your particular country.
Your local Jabiru distributor can give you guidance on who to consult and how your project
should be administered.
In all cases, however, it is your responsibility as an amateur builder to ensure that you are
fully informed of the requirements and to ensure that you meet these requirements.
General>Reference documentation
The FAA Advisory Circular “Aircraft Inspection, Repair and Alterations” (publication AC
43.13-2A, ISBN: 1560270985) is an excellent reference work that covers all aspects of
aircraft building and repair, and it can be downloaded or purchased online from several
suppliers of technical publications.
The FAA Advisory Circular “Amateur-Built Aircraft and Ultralight Flight Testing
Handbook” (publication AC 90-89A), addresses the topic in considerable detail and which
may be obtained here: www.faa.gov/library/manuals/.

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Unpacking and support
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 13 of 343
General>Unpacking and support
Unpack the wing box first and inspect the contents: there should be two wings. Inspect for
transit damage then close the box and store, as the wings will not be required for some time.
Unpacking the main box is a much more complicated task as there are hundreds of parts and
they all have to be inspected for transit damage.
The first thing you should do is locate your packing list which is in with all the individual
components that have been packed with your fuselage. This list will show you all of the
components that have been packed, each of which should correspond with the specific type &
model of aircraft that you have ordered.
Your kit was triple checked when it was packed in our factory, but PLEASE check off every
single part as you unpack it: mark off every item so that YOU can be sure that you have
received them.
You could also make a note of where you plan to store each part or group of parts.
Please notify Jabiru of any missing parts within 3 months of the receipt of your kit.
At this stage it would be a good idea to store your instruments in a low humidity environment.
Store your propeller in a horizontal position.
Treat all the steel components with an anticorrosive substance.
Fibreglass components will soften and change shape when heat is applied, so keep this in
mind when deciding where to store your parts. For example: storing your flaps between the
rafters in the heat of the roof is a very bad idea if you live in a hot sunny climate.
Here at Jabiru we pride ourselves on our after-market support, and if you have any difficulties
through the building process we would be happy to help you to resolve them.
We provide product support via email, phone or fax.
Start by checking the resources on our web site at: www.jabiru.net.au and contact us:
Email: inf[email protected] (please send us a fax or call if no read receipt is received)
Phone: [phone] - (8.30 am-4.30pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time))
Fax: [phone]
Spare Parts Department
Email: [email protected]
Phone: [phone] - (8.30 am-4.00 pm AEST)
Service Department
Email: [email protected]
Phone: [phone] - (8.30 am-4.00 pm AEST)
Postal Address:
Jabiru Aircraft Pty. Ltd.
P.O. Box 5792
Bundaberg West QLD 4670
AUSTRALIA
Location:
Airport Drive
Bundaberg West QLD 4670
AUSTRALIA

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Composite standard procedures
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 14 of 343
General>Composite standard procedures
Composite introduction
Composite construction techniques may seem mystifying to those who have never been
involved with composites before but they are straightforward and require only a few basic
procedures.
Composite surface preparation
For bonding composite-to-composite or composite-to-metal the surfaces must be prepared in
the following ways:
With peel cloth
Where it is known that a surface will be bonded to
another surface, peel cloth is usually incorporated in
the lay-up under the gelcoat to provide a bare, clean
„virgin‟ surface to aid the builder.
Typically peel cloth is included in the lay-up for all
structural components: vertical fin, horizontal
stabiliser, flaps, aileron pre-molds, etc.
To prepare the surface for bonding simply cut at the
edge of the peel cloth with a knife and peel the peel
cloth off as shown in the photo at right, then lightly
roughen the surface by sanding to provide a good
„key‟ for the epoxy to bond to.
Peel cloth is typically red in colour as shown, although other colours are sometimes used.
If you are in any doubt about the area that you intend to glass to, sand away the gelcoat and if
you see anything that is not bare fibreglass then do not glass to it until it is bare fibreglass.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER glass over the top of peel cloth!
Without peel cloth
Where there is no peel cloth for a bonding surface the surface must be free of gelcoat, grease
and contaminates and must be sanded lightly to provide a good „key‟ for the epoxy to bond to.
Metal
If it is necessary to bond to composite to metal, the metal surface must be degreased and
roughly sanded to provide a good „key‟ for the epoxy to bond to.
Summary
Careful surface preparation is extremely important when working with composites: all
surfaces to be bonded must be absolutely clean and must be roughened in order to provide a
good „key‟ for the epoxy to bond to.
Bare
surface
Peel
cloth
Gelcoat

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Composite standard procedures
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 15 of 343
Epoxy measuring and mixing
Quality assurance and record keeping
In Australia the SAAA require that a wet and dry bulb thermometer is kept in the room where
the lay-ups are done. A further requirement is that a sample of each mix is kept as a quality
assurance step. In your builders log you should record the wet and dry bulb temperatures, the
mix number (all samples to be numbered) and the batch numbers of the resin and hardener.
Samples of resin batches should be retained, dated and labelled according to the Task on
which the batch was used. Samples should be inspected after 24 hours to ensure correct
curing. The cured resin should be hard and “scratch-able”.
A good sampling device is a small plastic medicine measure cup: wipe the interior of the cup
with wax before each use to facilitate easy removal of the sample. Samples should not exceed
10mm in depth otherwise the heat generated during curing may affect the result.
Measuring epoxy
The Epoxy system used for the production of Jabiru Aircraft is LC3600, which is mixed in a
3:1 ratio, which means that 3 parts of resin are mixed with 1 part of hardener.
The best method for ensuring accurate measuring is to use a digital kitchen scale as described
in the section General>Required tools and equipment which is what we do in our factory.
Curing times
The LC3600 is a room temperature (24° Celsius minimum) curing epoxy so it requires no
elevated temperature curing unless you are working in a particularly cold climate or perhaps
during winter months. The recommended curing time depends upon temperature but a
minimum of 24 hours is good rule of thumb.
Mixing epoxy
When mixing the epoxy the mixture will initially appear 'cloudy' then as you mix the mixture
will become clearer but 'stringy', keep mixing and finally you'll be left with a clear mixture
with no sign of being 'stringy'.
Note: The smaller the mix the larger the possibility for errors, so consider combining several
tasks and doing a larger mix wherever possible.
Mixing in flock
As a general rule, mix flock so you can take a sample with a mixing stick turn it over & it
does not dribble off. If it is a little too runny, add more fibre flock.
Mixing epoxy and milled cotton flock together creates an excellent filler which is used in
many places to form edges and fillets. The mixture is referred to as 'flock' but is often used as
a verb, for example: "flock the bracket into the position shown...”
Mixing 5-minute Araldite
5-minute Araldite is a fast curing epoxy and is very useful for bonding non-structural items
into place. If you find that your Araldite won‟t cure it is usually because 2 lots of the same
part were used instead of 1 each. We have all made that mistake at least once.
Mixing 5-min Araldite with cotton flock creates a good paste for 'bedding' parts into place.
Same rule applies as for mixing Epoxy.

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Composite standard procedures
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 16 of 343
Composite general
Glassing procedure
Any lay-up of glass fibre cloth should follow this general procedure: make a mix of resin and
brush a coat of resin onto the entire area to be glassed, then lay the first piece of cloth on and
carefully brush it into place, adding small amounts of resin to the brush as required to wet the
cloth, until the resin has completely saturated the cloth: the cloth seems to change colour
slightly from a silvery white to a colour close to that of the surrounding surface when it is
saturated with resin.
Once the first layer of cloth has been successfully brushed on, apply the second layer and
brush that on in the same manner, adding small amounts of resin as required to wet the cloth.
Repeat for as many layers of cloth as the task requires.
Peel cloth
Peel cloth is supplied in the bags of glass fibre cloth in the kit. The intended use for this peel
cloth is to brush it onto the top of a layed-up area of glass fibre cloth.
The peel cloth will smooth out the finished surface by allowing the resin to level off across
the weave of the glass fibre cloth and provide a good surface for painting preparation.
Trimming edges of glass fibre cloth
There are two times for trimming edges, these are before curing while the epoxy is 'tacky'
(approximately 2 to 4 hours after mixing) and when the structure is fully cured.
Various tools are used for trimming edges but for thin or 'tacky' lay-ups a sharp utility knife
may be used. Thicker cured edges may require a jigsaw and a rough file to trim. A heat gun
may be used to soften cured edges so that a utility knife can trim them.
Inspection and evaluation
Each lay-up will require an inspection and evaluation after curing.
Inspect for soft or wet patches after a reasonable time for curing has been allowed, as such
wet or soft areas may indicated an improperly mixed batch of epoxy.
Care must be taken to check that areas have actually been bonded together and that there are
no air gaps or bubbles between the layers of glass, especially in curves/radii.
Removing screws
Self-tapping screws are used to hold parts in place while epoxy is curing but once the epoxy
has cured it can be difficult to remove the screws.
Use your soldering iron to heat the head of the screw and the composite around the screw will
soften allowing the screw to be removed easily.
This is also a handy trick to use if any bushes are not perfectly in line and need a slight adjust.
Clecoes
Clecoes are used to hold hinges while they are being flocked into place prior to riveting and
so they must be free of oil and grease that could contaminate the surface to be bonded, and
they will inevitably get flock onto them during the bonding or flocking process.
To prevent these problems, keep your Clecoe fasteners stored in a sealed tin of Acetone to
ensure that they remain clean and ready for use –the Acetone will dry off them in seconds.

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Aircraft grade bolts and lock nuts
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 17 of 343
General>Aircraft grade bolts and lock nuts
General
All bolts 3/16” or larger in diameter that have been supplied with your Jabiru kit are Aircraft
grade bolts.
Under no circumstances must any bolts other than Aircraft grade bolts be used on your Jabiru.
Aircraft grade bolts are significantly stronger than regular commercial grade bolts and have
features such as corrosion resistance that have been designed specifically for aircraft use.
Aircraft grade bolts are quite different in appearance to regular commercial grade bolts in
several ways: Aircraft grade bolts are usually gold or silver in colour; they have a relatively
short thread length and a longer plain shank or grip length.
In almost all cases the supplied and specified bolts will be the correct length for each task, but
kit builders need to be aware of the correct method of determining and/or checking the correct
length of bolts and also the correct method of tightening lock nuts.
The parts of a bolt
There are 2 variable lengths to an Aircraft
grade bolt: the overall length, usually just
referred to as the length, and the grip length,
which is the length of the plain shank of the
bolt, which is measured from underneath the
head of the bolt to the beginning of the
threads (see the drawing at right).
The thread length is generally fixed in
relation to the diameter of the bolt.
Bolt identification
Aircraft bolts supplied with your Jabiru kit are identified in this Manual and in Jabiru
drawings by the prefix letters “AN”, the diameter (measured in 1/16” increments) and the
length (measured in 1/8” increments) of the bolt and a suffix, which is usually “A”.
Examples of bolt identifiers would be: AN3-6A, AN4-14A, AN3-22A, AN4-72 and so on.
For example, for an AN3-5A bolt:
AN means the bolt has been manufactured to Aircraft (Military) standards
3 the diameter of the bolt in 1/16" increments: (3/16” in this case)
-5(the dash number) the length of the bolt in 1/8" increments: (5/8” in this case)
A not drilled for a lock pin. Bolts with no “A” here are drilled for a lock pin
If the dash number defining the length of the bolt has two digits, the first digit is the length in
whole inches and the second number is the length in additional 1/8" increments. This can
become complex and if you feel the need to delve deeply into the subject you can locate an
AN bolt chart online or purchase an AN bolt gauge from suppliers of Aircraft grade fasteners.
The last example given above (AN4-72) there is no “A” suffix, which indicates that the
threaded end has been drilled during manufacture for a lock pin while the other 3 examples all
have the suffix “A” and do not have provision for a lock pin.

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Aircraft grade bolts and lock nuts
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 18 of 343
Determining and checking bolt lengths
A bolt must be long enough to ensure that no more than one thread will be inside the bolt hole
when the bolt is fitted. This grip length should be equal to the material thickness that is being
held by the bolt.
What this means is that the correct bolt length must be used in every case, and if a nut
cannot be tightened to safety then measures must be taken to correct the length, either by
packing with washers (an absolute maximum of 3 flat washers may be used for packing,
starting with the required washer under the nut, then one washer under the head of the bolt
and finally, if needed, another washer under the nut) or using a different length bolt.
Lock nuts
All bolted components on your Jabiru aircraft are held in place with lock nuts, either a Nyloc
type fibre lock nut for most uses or a steel lock nut for hot areas such as in the engine bay.
It is important to understand the procedure for tightening Aircraft lock nuts: each nut must be
fitted with a flat washer under it and “tightened to safety”, which is defined as having a
minimum of 1½ threads and a maximum of 3 threads showing beyond the end of the lock nut.
This is considered critical for load-bearing bolts and good practise for all other bolts.
Any less than 1½ threads showing beyond the end of the lock nut means a risk of the nut not
locking correctly while any more than 3 threads showing beyond the end of the lock nut could
mean that the lock nut is bottoming on the thread and there is a risk overstressing the bolt and
nut and/or not gripping the joined material correctly. Examples of each case are shown above.
In general all nuts should be fitted so that they face outward so that they can be easily
inspected. Nuts inside the cabin should face out and towards the pilot if at all possible.
Nuts that have been tightened to safety should be marked with a dab of TorqueSeal.
!!WRONG!!
Less than 1½
Correct
!!WRONG!!
More than 3

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Rod ends
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 19 of 343
General>Rod ends
It can truthfully be said that the rod ends are the sole connection between the pilot and the
control surfaces of your Jabiru.
A very important item of hardware indeed!
Given the vital role that each and every rod end performs in your Jabiru it is equally important
that you familiarise yourself with the correct method of connecting rod ends.
There are 2 parts to connecting a rod end: the cable connection and the drive connection.
Cable connection
All cable rod ends are
female rod ends, which is
to say that the cable (the
male end) is screwed into
the rod end (the female
end) the cable length can
be adjusted by screwing
the rod end further onto
the cable or further off
the cable, and then the
cable is fixed to the rod
end by means of a jam nut on the cable that locks the threads from turning.
There must be enough cable thread length in the rod end to provide strength and security, and
each female rod end has a small hole, called the safety hole, part-way along one side through
which the cable threads must be visible –if you cannot see the cable threads through the
safety hole, then you must not fly the aircraft until adjustments have been made so that the
cable threads are visible through the safety hole.
This is of the utmost importance and cannot be overstated!
Drive connection
Most of the rod ends on your Jabiru are driven by a 3/16” bolt through the spherical bush, and
they must be connected in the following manner: between the rod end and the drive lever, fit
one 3/16” flat washer (or more in the case of the flap drive arms –details in the Flaps task).
Between the rod end and the retaining nut (or the head of the bolt, depending on which way
the bolt is fitted) fit one ¼” flat washer (one size larger than the bolt).
The purpose of this larger flat
washer is that should the spherical
bush in the rod end fail, the large
washer will provide a margin of
safety by preventing the rod end
from leaving the drive bolt. In the
photo at right you can see the way
that the washers are fitted.
In practical terms, should a rod end fail internally in flight the rod end will still remain
connected to the drive bolt and the control will continue to function.
Thus the correct fitting of the flat washers to rod ends is extremely important.
Jam nut
Safety
hole
Rod end
Cable
Spherical
bush

Jabiru J450 Constructors Manual
General>Health and safety
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 20 of 343
General>Health and safety
Working with composites is no different than working with other chemicals and flammable
materials, and caution and common sense should prevail at all times.
NO SMOKING
Do not smoke or have any exposed flames near your kit or resin storage area.
Epoxy will burn.
Warning: the fumes from burning epoxy are extremely toxic!
Epoxy
Long term exposure to epoxy can lead to an 'epoxy allergy' so suitable safety precautions
should be taken as follows:
Contact
Do not expose your skin to epoxy. Neoprene, latex or nitrile rubber gloves (with pure cotton
gloves worn underneath to wick away sweat from your hands) and protective (industrial)
clothing should be worn when handling epoxies.
If epoxy is spilt onto the skin, wash off with warm water and soap immediately.
Barrier cream can help the skin to avoid becoming sensitised. Note: if barrier cream is used
take care to keep it away from any surfaces to be bonded by wearing gloves –the cream could
contaminate and weaken the join so keep the cream inside your disposable gloves at all times.
Fresh Air
Epoxy fumes should not be inhaled. Blow fresh air across the work face at all times.
The use of an external fresh air source and facemask is strongly recommended along with the
use of a fan for blowing the epoxy fumes away. In our factory we use several industrial
pedestal fans to blow fresh air across the work surfaces at all times.
Dust
Always wear a dust mask when sanding or cutting composites. Cutting and sanding
composites creates a lot of dust and the extremely fine glass dust should not be inhaled.
A half-face respirator with suitable filters is highly recommended and should be worn at all
times when sanding fibreglass parts.
OK, lets get building!