Just Aircraft of New Zealand - Super STOLs

Following on from the Highlander, Just Aircraft developed the Super STOL as an even more capable STOL aircraft with the same fuselage but with bigger wings with automatic leading edge slats and Fowler flaps and a very long stroke undercarriage with tundra tyres.  This produced an aircraft with the ability to "drop in" to short remote airstrips, for example the Highlander can land in 1,000 feet over a 50 foot obstacle whereas the Super STOL can do it in 450 feet!

Like the Escapade and the Highlander the Super STOL's fuselage is of a welded 4130 steel fuselage of polygonal cross section and the aircraft is mainly fabric covered.

Specifications for the Super STOL are: length 19 feet (5.69 metres), wingspan 31 feet 3 inches (9.52 metres) and the wing area is much bigger than the Highlander at 147 square feet.  The empty weight is around 737 Kg (334 Kg) and in New Zealand the MAUW is 1,200 pounds (544 Kg).  Engines are usually a Rotax 912 or 914 (100 to 115 HP), and with the Rotax 912 the cruise speed is around 100 mph and the stall speed is low at 32 mph.

We have had eight Just Aircraft Super STOLs in New Zealand to date, as follows:

Our first Super STOL was ZK-RIM (c/n JA-272) which was registered to Roderick (Rod) I Milne of Taupo on 24/12/13.  This was a factory built aircraft with a Rotax 914 engine that was imported by the New Zealand agents Just Aircraft NZ Ltd and arrived in Timaru in early December 2013.  Its first flight here was on 24/1/14 from Rangitata Island, flown by Grant Coldicott.  It was delivered North to Taupo on 10/10/14 when the above photo was taken at Rangiora.  In the photo you can clearly see the leading edge slats and the large flying surfaces.

And another photo, taken at Tauranga, showing the short landing technique that enables the aircraft to get into short strips.

Our second Super STOL was ZK-CVV2 (c/n JAE-297) which was also a factory built example that arrived in Timaru in December 2014.  It was registered to John C Kookshorn of Queensland on 12/12/14 but it is based in Wanaka.  John Kookshorn moved to Christchurch.  The above photo was taken at the 2018 Wings Over Wanaka, on 1/4/18.

Next to be registered was ZK-PSK (c/n JA342-01-14), another factory built aircraft, which was registered to Christopher J (Chris) Pask of Hastings on 3/3/15.  It is photo'd above on delivery through Rangiora on 25/3/15.

Our first kit built Super STOL was ZK-NJC (c/n JA402-08-14) which was built by Craig Miller of Custom Aviation at Taieri for Neville Cunningham of Timaru.  It was first registered on 8/9/15 to Mt Cook Trophy Hunting of Timaru.  It has a Rotax 914 and 29 inch tundra tyres, and is photo'd early on in its life at Taieri.

A more recent photo of it in its element with Mt Cook Trophy Hunting script.

ZK-KAB2 (c/n JA314-08-13) was registered to the KAB Syndicate (Brian Phillips and Grant Goodland) of Rangiora on 30/11/15 and was first flown on 10/4/16 with Evan Belworthy as the test pilot.  It is photo'd above on 1/4/17 at its owners "Eyre Ache" property which is adjacent to Forest Field, West of Christchurch.  On 10/1/19 ownership changed to the KAB Syndicate of Christchurch.

ZK-KTF (c/n JA345-01-14) was registered to Fraser A (Tony) Fullerton-Smith of Turangi on 4/8/16 and it is photo'd above at its Omori base on the South-Western edge of Lake Taupo on delivery in March 2017.

ZK-ZOE (c/n JA411-09-14) was built from a kit by Brian Taylor who is based near Whangarei.  It was registered to the J Finlayson and G Metge Partnership (John Finlayson and Graham Metge) of Auckland on 2/8/17 and its first flight was on 6/10/17 at Whangarei, with Brian Taylor as the test pilot.  It is photo'd above at Dargaville on 25/11/17.  On 8/3/18 ownership changed to the John Finlayson Syndicate of Whangarei.

And the final Super STOL to be registered here is ZK-TUX (c/n JA285-01-13) which was registered on 11/2/19 to Jury Family Farms Ltd of Carterton.  However, it has been in New Zealand for several years.  It was first registered as N400TL to John Levy of Caarlsbad, CA on 10/6/13 and it was soon exported to New Zealand.  It was noted at the 2014 Wings Over Wanaka where the above photo was taken on 18/4/14.  Its US registration was cancelled on 26/12/18.