Photograph:
Just Aircraft Highlander VH-AHC (c/n JA192) at Avalon, VIC in March 2011 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Two-seat light sport aircraft
Power Plant:
One 80 kw (100 hp) Rotax 912S four-cylinder horizontally-opposed liquid-and-air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- [Highlander]
- Wingspan: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
- Length: 5.79 m (19 ft)
- Height: 2.41 m (7 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 11.21 m² (120.75 sq ft)
- Length wing folded: 6.33 m (20 ft 8 in
- Width wing folded: 2.43 m (7 ft 11½ in)
- Cruising speed: 177 km/h (110 mph)
- Max rate of climb: 268 m/min (880 ft/min)
- Stalling speed clean: 51 km/h (32 mph)
- Stalling speed with flaps: 43 km/h (27 mph)
- Take-off run: 91 m (300 ft)
- Landing run: 91 m (300 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 68 litres (15 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 281 kg (620 lb)
- Useful load: 318 kg (700 lb)
- Loaded weight: 599 kg (1,320 lb)
History:
The Escapade and Highlander were produced by Just Aircraft as light sport aircraft in kit-plane form at the Company’s premises at Walhalla in South Carolina, USA. The Escapade was developed to meet demand for a two-seat side-by-side dual control aircraft which could be used for training and recreation. The Highlander was designed as a “bush-plane” and had extended wings, with a taller, heavier undercarriage, and could be fitted with tundra tyres and a larger tail with balanced elevator and rudder.
Using the same basic fuselage for both aircraft, each had a luggage capacity that extended to the tail. The aircraft were of basic metal construction using 4130 Chrome-moly steel with fabric covering. The wings could be folded for storage. Both aircraft could be built with a tailwheel or tricycle undercarriage and the designers stated the owner could swap from one to the other in about an hour.
The aircraft have been used in “back country” work in parts of Canada, Idaho, Wisconsin and New Zealand. Both models could be flown with the doors off, or doors and windows open, and a heater could be installed for colder weather. They came as ready-to-assemble kits and the builder could have the factory finish the wings and cover the fuselage, if required. Both aircraft could be fitted with the Rotax series of engines from the 503 up to the 914; or the Jabiru 2200 or 3300.
First of the type seen in this region was an Escapade ZK-SKP (c/n JA169-07-08) registered to its owner in Hamilton in June 2009, followed by Highlander VH-AHC (c/n JA192) in June 2010, and VH-JPU (c/n JA-230-02-11) in June 2014.
In December 2013 a variant known as the SuperSTOL was registered as ZK-RIM (c/n JA.272).
Examples have also been registered under Recreational Aviation Australia (RAA) Regulations, including 19-8166 (c/n JA192).