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Jabiru RV-12 Update

Kit Planes

Jabarooooo!!!!
The Kit planes article is making me want a RV12!
You have made the 12 a lot better looking.
The price makes it a lot more interesting too. Keep going , I hope you sell a lot of the Jab kits.
 
I've been the VAF contact for our RV-12 project for over a year now for 2 reasons: one is I love the Jabiru engine, and another is I'm the only chatty VAF nut at Jabiru USA.

Recently Pete's son (& my spousal equivalent) Ben and I received the opportunity to work for Randy Lervold at Cub Crafters in Yakima Washington. Feeling the need to get out in the world, we took it. Big adventure! House is sold, RV8 is sold, my old RV-3 kit is sold. Tony Boy II, however, is going in the trailer, and whatever else fits can come along! :-D

Anyway, Jabiru USA is still here, and Pete is rearranging & adding personnel to adapt to our absence. I won't be up-to-date with the RV-12 project anymore other than what Pete tells Ben over the phone, but I'm sure Pete will be glad to join VAF to chime in on developments and answer questions.

I can tell you this-- Pete's 12 is in the paint shop right now as I write this. He is hoping to fly it to Sun n Fun to tempt Mother Nature with it again this year.

By the way... thanks Jay for your kind words! I'm sorry I missed you all during the RV-1 rebuild. The stars aligned for other things, I guess.
 
You will be missed

Good luck to both of you
You will be missed


KatieB said:
Recently Pete's son (& my spousal equivalent) Ben and I received the opportunity to work for Randy Lervold at Cub Crafters in Yakima Washington. Feeling the need to get out in the world, we took it. Big adventure! House is sold, RV8 is sold, my old RV-3 kit is sold. Tony Boy II, however, is going in the trailer, and whatever else fits can come along! :-D
Click to expand...
 
Grand Champ LSA!

I'd like to congratulate Pete Krotje and the guys who helped him build his RV-12 for winning Grand Champion LSA with the Jabiru-powered RV-12 at Sun 'n Fun this year!! :D

One year Pete's picking up pieces thrown by Mother Nature, the next he's hauling home some hardware. :cool:

I wish Ben and I could be there to help celebrate.
 
I attended Pete's forum presentation as well and it was very informative. The paint job looks really sweet too.

Carl
 
best wishes and luck in your new adventure

Katie,

I've enjoyed following your saga, both with the RV-3's and with the Jabiru. ( I had a hard time not spelling it Jabaroo!)

I hope you will check in with VAF now and again, as Randy does, keep us up to date on your adventures.

To you and Randy both: I've always planned that after I finish my fast airplane, I would build a slow airplane. But I'm thinking open cockpit. How would a Cub work with a parasol wing and an open cockpit?
 
IMG_5790.jpeg

:D N122PK flying to Sun 'n Fun last Saturday
 
scsmith said:
Katie,

I've enjoyed following your saga, both with the RV-3's and with the Jabiru. ( I had a hard time not spelling it Jabaroo!)

I hope you will check in with VAF now and again, as Randy does, keep us up to date on your adventures.

To you and Randy both: I've always planned that after I finish my fast airplane, I would build a slow airplane. But I'm thinking open cockpit. How would a Cub work with a parasol wing and an open cockpit?
Click to expand...

Thanks Steve,

At the risk of thread drift... I'd love to sell a Cub, but maybe you need a Pietenpol! :p
The Cubs fly nicely with the door or a window open...
 
nice looking 12

Katie, thanks for the report and picture of Pete's plane. It looks great and I love the fact that a non Rotex 12 won the award. I imagine there was quite a buzz after it won. Not that I have a problem with a Rotex, I just like seeing the E put back in experimental.

Tell him congratulations and I would love to see more pictures and web log of the build.
 
KatieB said:
I'd like to congratulate Pete Krotje and the guys who helped him build his RV-12 for winning Grand Champion LSA with the Jabiru-powered RV-12 at Sun 'n Fun this year!! :D

One year Pete's picking up pieces thrown by Mother Nature, the next he's hauling home some hardware. :cool:

I wish Ben and I could be there to help celebrate.
Click to expand...

Katie,
Pete was telling me at Sebring how he was going to solve his cooling frustration. I assume that worked for him?

Pete
 
Fantastic looking plane! Yes, I vote for more pictures too...please :D

And were the final performance specs with the Jab 85 ever put out?
 
Peterk said:
Katie,
Pete was telling me at Sebring how he was going to solve his cooling frustration. I assume that worked for him?

Pete
Click to expand...

Yep... the only issue with cooling was the oil temperature, which typically ran about 30 degrees warmer than the ideal 180F. He installed a flush chin inlet with the oil cooler mounted squarely behind it, and that solved it.
 
RV-12 Update

Soooo....looking at the pictures, it appears a Jab 3300 would fit in that extra long cowl! You could relocate the battery for CG. Any comments (yet)?
 
Very nice job! How's the handling? I've always wondered about the handling of the RV12 when it comes to these alternative engines, esp. when it comes to engines like the Jab, ULPower or the Viking.
 
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