The Escapade design can be traced back to that of the
Avid Flyer, via the
Denney Kitfox 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 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
wingtips; the
trailing edges are aluminum. The
ailerons and
flaps have glass fiber
leading edges. The wings are braced to the lower fuselage
longerons with V-form
struts and vertical
jury struts. The
fuselage 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 is conventional, the low
aspect ratio tailplane with its swept leading edge and rounded
elevators located at the top of the fuselage. There is a portside flight-adjustable elevator
trim tab with optional electric drive. The unbalanced
rudder 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 or
Jabiru units in the 37-89 kW (50-120 hp) range, driving two- or three-blade
propellers and enclosed in a
cowling manufactured from
composite materials. 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 generators over the whole upper leading edge, and the
fin is square cornered and 8 in (200 mm) taller. Its tail control surfaces are
horn balanced 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 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 in April 2008. The Highlander was introduced in 2004. ==Operational history==