The Edgley EA-7 Optica – The Fixed-Wing Helicopter, Or Was It?

By Rob Russell

The Edgley EA-7 Optica was a British light aircraft designed for low-speed observation work, and intended as a low-cost alternative to helicopters. Well, that was the plan!

The Optica project began in 1974 with a company, Edgley Aircraft Limited, formed by John Kelsey Edgley, who, with a small team, designed and built the original prototype. John had always believed there was an aircraft capable of performing many tasks that helicopters did. These include traffic observation, tourism pleasure flights and light reconnaissance. He had a hard time selling his vision, but eventually was able to raise some capital to go ahead with the project.

John Edgley, at that time a post-graduate student at the Imperial College of Science & Technology, London, began the final aerodynamic design in 1974 and a model was wind tunnel tested in 1975. Construction of a prototype began in 1976 in London, and final assembly was carried out at the College of Aeronautics, Cranfield.

The Optica, powered by a 160 hp (119 kW) Lycoming IO-320 engine, made its maiden flight on 14 December 1979, when it was flown by Squadron Leader Angus McVitie, the chief pilot of the Cranfield College of Aeronautics.

The aircraft has an unusual configuration with a fully glazed forward cabin, reminiscent of a Hillier Model 360 or Hughes Model 269 helicoptery type helicopter, that provides 270° panoramic vision and almost vertical downward vision for the pilot and two passengers. The aircraft has twin booms with twin rudders and a high-mounted tailplane. It is powered by a Lycoming flat-six normally-aspirated engine situated behind the cabin and driving a fixed pitch ducted fan. Due to the ducted fan, the aircraft is exceptionally quiet. The aircraft has a fixed tricycle undercarriage with the nosewheel offset to the left. The wings were unswept and untapered. The aircraft’s frame is all-metal, with a stressed skin of aluminium.

Considerable interest was shown in the Optica from the time of its first appearance, and at the 1981 Paris air show, the announcement of a first production order was made - 25 for an Australian distributor. A total of 22 Opticas were built, while construction of a 23rd began but was not completed. Ten aircraft were destroyed in an arson attack at the factory. Cash flow problems, together with a lack of sales, saw production halved in 1982.

However, despite the setback, there were some institutional investors who saw a future for the aircraft and bought into the project and set up a production line at Old Sarum Airfield in Wiltshire. Over the next three years, the company was built up to full manufacturing capability, the aircraft received UK certification, and the first customer aircraft was delivered. With new owners, aircraft on the production line were completed, and the newer version, called the Optica, entered service.

The Optica, upgraded to the more powerful Lycoming IO-540, entered production in 1983. Edgley Aircraft Limited obtained its initial Civil Aviation Authority certification on 8 February 1985. There were a few British constabularies that were interested in them, until an unfortunate crash on the 15th May 1985, killing a Hampshire police pilot and his observer. After a thorough investigation by the United Kingdom Department of Transport Air Accidents Bureau, no mechanical faults or structural failures were discovered. They put the cause of the accident down to pilot error, saying that he must have stalled the aircraft while performing a low-speed, low-level manoeuvre. It was up to then seen as a possible alternative option to helicopters for general police work and traffic management.

This unfortunate accident had a devastating effect on the Company and the additional investment necessary for the final phase of full production was not forthcoming; the business went into receivership.

The Optica went through several changes of ownership, until FLS Aerospace (Lovaux Ltd) took over the rights, together with the design and manufacturing rights to the Sprint: a two-seat ab-initio trainer that had been designed by Sydney Holloway in Cornwall, UK, at about the same time as the Optica. Lovaux had intended to develop both aircraft, with the Sprint intended as the entry-level low-cost military trainer for the UK forces. However, the Sprint was not adopted for this role, and Lovaux eventually cancelled both projects, partly due to a lack of sales and also capital investment. In 2007, they were offered to John Edgley, who formed a new company, AeroElvira Limited, with three former employees of Edgley Aircraft (Chris Burleigh, Fin Colson and Dave Lee) who at that time were working on both projects for the then-owners.

The new company successfully put G-BOPO back into service as a UK demonstrator, with a first return-to-service flight on 3 June 2008. In August 2016, Interflight Global (IFG) announced plans to start a valuation of the dormant Optica programme with a view to relaunching production. In December 2016, IFG completed its valuation and in June 2017, delivered a letter of intent to AeroElvira to continue with due diligence, appraisal and further steps to relaunch the EA-7 Optica aircraft programme in the 2018–19 timeframe.

IFG had ambitious plans to develop, market and support the Optica, outsourcing the manufacturing and final assembly to comply with FAA/EASA Part 23 requirements (Part 23 deals with small planes and their designs). At the end of 2018, IFG modified its initial program re-launch efforts, whilst again, identifying and selecting a suitable OEM strategic partner to update the Optica TC and to bring the aircraft into production. But their attempts were unsuccessful.

IFG, in a post-COVID-19 Pandemic reassessment of intent, remains active in the search for strategic partners to assist in the relaunch of the aircraft program. As of 2023–2024, IFG and IFG-Capital are the exclusive advisors and investment brokers of the Optica aircraft program and are actively engaged with investors and potential OEMs for the program relaunch.

General characteristics

• Crew: 3

• Length: 8.15 m (26 ft 9 in)

• Wingspan: 12.00 m (39 ft 4 in)

• Height: 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in)

• Wing area: 15.84 m2 (170.5 sq ft)

• Airfoil: NASA GA(W)-1

• Empty weight: 948 kg (2,090 lb)

• Max takeoff weight: 1,315 kg (2,899 lb)

• Fuel capacity: 250 L (66 US gal; 55 imp gal) useful capacity

• Powerplant: 1 × Textron Lycoming IO-540-V4A5D air-cooled flat-six engine, 190 kW (260 hp)

• Propellers: 5-bladed fixed-pitch ducted fan

  
  

Performance

• Maximum speed: 213 km/h (132 mph, 115 kn)

• Cruise speed: 130 km/h (81 mph, 70 kn) (loiter speed, 40% power)

• Range: 1,056 km (656 mi, 570 nmi) at 130 km/h (81 mph; 70 kn) (45-minute reserves)

• Endurance: 8 h (at loiter speed)

• Service ceiling: 4,275 m (14,026 ft)

• Rate of climb: 4.1 m/s (810 ft/min)