The Just Escapade is a single-engine,

high-wing A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing config ...

light aircraft, seating two in

side-by-side configuration Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which two or more animals, machines, or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. ''Tandem'' can also be used more generally to refer to any group of persons or objects w ...

. It was jointly developed in the United States and the United Kingdom in the early 2000s and by 2010 some 145 Escapades and its "bush plane" variant, the Highlander, had been built and many more kits sold.

Design and development

The Escapade design can be traced back to that of the

Avid Flyer The Avid Flyer is a family of American single engine, high-wing, strut-braced, conventional landing gear-equipped, two seat light aircraft designed for kit construction in the 1980s. Its several variants sold in large numbers. In 1987 a Flyer be ...

, via the

Denney Kitfox The Denney Kitfox is a series of small side-by-side, two-seat, high-wing, single engine kit aircraft, designed and originally manufactured by Dan Denney and his company Denney Aerocraft of Boise, Idaho. The aircraft is amateur-built a ...

and Reality Easy Raider, marrying the Easy Raider's wing to a stretched Kitfox Lite fuselage. The key differences between the two types are the Escapade's side-by-side seating in a widened cabin, dual controls, and the option of a

tricycle undercarriage Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', that is arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has one or more nose wheels in a single front undercarriage and two or more main wheels slightly aft of th ...

It was developed jointly in the United States and United Kingdom by Just Aircraft and Reality Aircraft respectively, the American prototype flying in February 2003, four months before its British counterpart. These prototypes differed to fit into local classifications. The Escapade has a Chromoloy steel frame and is largely fabric covered. The wings have constant chord, ending in Hoerner-type

wingtip A wing tip (or wingtip) is the part of the wing that is most distant from the fuselage of a fixed-wing aircraft. Because the wing tip shape influences the size and drag of the wingtip vortices, tip design has produced a diversity of sha ...

s; the

trailing edge The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge meets.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 521. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. ...

s are aluminum. The

aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement aroun ...

s and flaps have glass fiber

leading edge The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air;Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil sectio ...

s. The wings are braced to the lower fuselage

longerons In engineering, a longeron or stringer is a load-bearing component of a framework. The term is commonly used in connection with aircraft fuselages and automobile chassis. Longerons are used in conjunction with stringers to form structural frame ...

with V-form

strut A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension. A stay is sometimes used as a synonym for ...

s and vertical

jury struts In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of struts, which act in ...

. The

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...

is polygonal in section, sloping inwards above and below the center line, with a flat aluminum upper surface that slopes upwards from the tail to the wing trailing edge, at the rear of the cabin. The

empennage The empennage ( or ), also known as the tail or tail assembly, is a structure at the rear of an aircraft that provides stability during flight, in a way similar to the feathers on an arrow.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third ed ...

is conventional, the low

aspect ratio The aspect ratio of a geometry, geometric shape is the ratio of its sizes in different dimensions. For example, the aspect ratio of a rectangle is the ratio of its longer side to its shorter side—the ratio of width to height, when the rectangl ...

tailplane A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabilizer, is a small lift (force), lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters ...

with its swept leading edge and rounded

elevators An elevator (American English) or lift (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels. They are typically powered by electric motors that drive tracti ...

located at the top of the fuselage. There is a portside flight-adjustable elevator

trim tab Trim tabs are small surfaces connected to the trailing edge of a larger Flight control surfaces, control surface on a boat or aircraft, used to control the trim of the controls, i.e. to counteract hydro- or aerodynamic forces and stabilise the ...

with optional electric drive. The unbalanced

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...

extends to the keel, moving in a V-shaped gap between the elevators. The seating is under the leading edge of the wing with a cabin roof window in the wing center section. Access is through side transparencies. Engine options include several

Rotax Rotax is the brand name for a range of internal combustion engines developed and manufactured by the Austrian company BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG (until 2016 BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co. KG), in turn owned by the Canadian Bombardier Recreational Prod ...

Jabiru The jabiru ( or ; ''Jabiru mycteria'') is a large stork found in the Americas from Mexico to Argentina, except west of the Andes. It sometimes wanders into the United States, usually in Texas, but has also been reported in Mississippi, Oklahoma ...

units in the 37-89 kW (50-120 hp) range, driving two- or three-blade

propellers A propeller (often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon a working flu ...

and enclosed in a

cowling A cowling (or cowl) is the removable covering of a vehicle's engine, most often found on automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, and on outboard boat motors. On airplanes, cowlings are used to reduce drag and to cool the engine. On boats, cowlings ...

manufactured from

composite material A composite or composite material (also composition material) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or physical properties and are merged to create a ...

s. Both undercarriage versions have the main wheels on faired-in V-form struts mounted on the lower fuselage longerons, with rubber-sprung half axles fixed to a compression frame. The conventional tailwheel is steerable but the alternative nose wheel castors freely, though a steerable version is planned. The Highlander version, intended for rough airstrips and marketed only in the United States, is designed to fly slowly and has a more robust undercarriage. Its wing has a 3 ft (910 mm) greater span, with

vortex generator A vortex generator (VG) is an aerodynamic device, consisting of a small wikt:vane, vane usually attached to a lifting surface (or airfoil, such as an aircraft, aircraft wing) or a rotor blade of a wind turbine.fin A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. F ...

is square cornered and 8 in (200 mm) taller. Its tail control surfaces are

horn balanced Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family o ...

and increased in area. The Highlander always has the conventional undercarriage, strengthened, with tundra tires and enhanced brakes. A 99 hp (74 kW)

Rotax 912 ULS The Rotax 912 is a horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, naturally-aspirated, four-stroke aircraft engine with a reduction gearbox. It features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. Originally equipped with carburetors, late ...

engine is fitted and allows a maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 lbs (598 kg). The Jabiru-engined United Kingdom prototype Escapade gained its permit to fly in September 2003 and the SLA prototype received British Civil Aircraft Rules section S approval from the

Light Aircraft Association The Light Aircraft Association (LAA) is the representative body in the United Kingdom for amateur aircraft construction, and recreational and sport flying. It oversees the construction and maintenance of homebuilt aircraft, under an approval from ...

in April 2008. The Highlander was introduced in 2004.

Operational history

The Escapade made its first public appearance in the United States at the

Sun 'n Fun Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo (officially styled SUN 'n FUN) is a nonprofit organization in Lakeland, Florida dedicated to the promotion of aviation education. It is best known for the annual week-long fly-in and airshow at Lakeland Linder Intern ...

airshow at

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. Located along Interstate 4, I-4 east of Tampa and southwest of Orlando, Florida, Orlando, it is the List of municipalities in Florida, most populous city in Polk County. As of the 2020 ...

in April 2003 and in the United Kingdom at the

Popular Flying Association The Light Aircraft Association (LAA) is the representative body in the United Kingdom for amateur aircraft construction, and recreational and sport flying. It oversees the construction and maintenance of homebuilt aircraft, under an approval from ...

International Rally at Kemble in July. The type was Grand Champion lightplane at the following year's Sun 'n Fun. By mid-2010 some 230 kits had been produced, with more than 65 Escapades and 80 Highlanders built and flown. In early 2012 there were 34 Escapades on the United Kingdom register. One ex-United Kingdom aircraft had by 2010 moved to the Irish Republic register. As of January 2019 there are four Highlanders registered in New Zealand.

Variants

;Escapade: Standard version, with range of engines, including the

Rotax 912ULS The Rotax 912 is a horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, naturally-aspirated, four-stroke aircraft engine with a reduction gearbox. It features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. Originally equipped with carburetors, ...

, the

turbocharged In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into the ...

Rotax 914 The Rotax 914 is a turbo-charged, four-stroke, four-cylinder, horizontally opposed aircraft engine with air-cooled cylinders and water-cooled cylinder heads. It is designed and built by the Austrian company BRP-Powertrain, owned by Bombardier ...

Jabiru 2200 The Jabiru 2200 is a lightweight naturally aspirated, pushrod four-stroke, flat four, air-cooled aircraft engine produced by Jabiru Aircraft. Design and development The conventional direct-drive engine is fitted with an alternator, silencers, ...

and the

Jabiru 3300 The Jabiru 3300 is a lightweight four-stroke, horizontally opposed "flat-six" air-cooled aircraft engine produced by Jabiru Aircraft. The engines are direct drive and fitted with alternators, silencers, vacuum pump drives and dual ignition syst ...

powerplants.,Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 65. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. choice of undercarriage; kits sold in both the United States and United Kingdom; 65 flown by 2010. ;Escapade Two: Version built by Escapade Aircraft of

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

, United Kingdom. The original Escapade model was renamed ''Escapade Two'' from 2011 to differentiate it from the single-seat version. JustHighlanderlanding

;Highlander: Larger wing, with anti-stall devices; larger fin and elevators; balanced tail control surfaces; strengthened conventional undercarriage. Engines are the

Rotax 912ULS The Rotax 912 is a horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, naturally-aspirated, four-stroke aircraft engine with a reduction gearbox. It features liquid-cooled cylinder heads and air-cooled cylinders. Originally equipped with carburetors, ...

, the

and the

powerplants. Kits sold in the United States only. 80 flown by 2010. JustSuperSTOLtakeoff

; Just Superstol :Development of the Highlander with leading edge slats and robust landing gear.Bernard, Mary and Suzanne B. Bopp: "Just Aircraft Superstol", ''Kitplanes'', Volume 29, Number 12, December 2012, page 26. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851

Specifications (Escapade, Rotax UL)

Notes

References

External links

* {{Just Aircraft 2000s United States sport aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Just Aircraft aircraft High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 2003