Edgley Optica FSX

[DaveB]

Hi Fellows

This little tinker was only mentioned quite recently and I'm not completely sure it wasn't in response to the model release. Whatever, I stumbled over it at Allnodes this morning and couldn't resist downloading..






Not sure if there's a clandestine 'Bobby' hiding in me somewhere but I seem to be flying a lot of things with POLICE on the side these days Couldn't resist this paint of the Hampshire forces G-KATY. I think it comes with 5 paints in all. Finish on the model is lovely as you can see. I found the cockpit a bit dark and the view out not particularly great (considering what this aircraft represents) but this is very probably a trade-off of it being in flightsim. Cockpit instruments are 3D and run smoothly.. nothing posh in there.

I didn't know what to expect from the handling other than you'd expect it to stay aloft with very little help. On taking off from Brum.. it needed a shed load of up elevator to stop it wanting to fall back to earth. I'm guessing the elevator gearing is very fine (hence the perceieved excess required) as I managed to get it flying level-ish ok. Similar trim input on many models would have had their noses high in the air! Still.. the handling characteristics are still a little odd. I think perhaps cruise was compromised to enable very low speed flight.. something it will do with ease. Aileron response can only be described as surprisingly slow.

All in all.. it's a nice addition to my growing Police fleet.. I may even try the civvie paints one day Visually, it's a little cracker. Nice detail and lovely shading. I'm not sure about the handling but I can live with it

Filename is: edgley_optica.zip over at Allnodes. Scenery is GenXv3/Treescapes/UK2K VFR Airfields

ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

Ah yes

G-KATY was the aircraft that fell out of the sky killing all on board putting a question mark over the type.

It was being evaluated as a possible replacement for Police helicopters

Is supposedly stalled in a turn for reasons never fully established from what I remember....well insufficient airspeed, but there seemed to be more factors leading up to the crash??.

So maybe the real one has peculiar handling??

[DaveB]

Hello Mate

Yes.. I remember the incident but not the detail. You'd not think the design, although radical, would offer up anything untoward with regard to handling but something was obviously amiss. As you say.. perhaps the model captures this well It's one of those things that's difficult to put your finger on.. present but not obvious as to what it is exactly. Still.. if they all flew like Cessna's.. life would be boring wouldn't it

ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

The whole point of the design was to fly very slowly and obviously the resultant lack of airflow puts it into a special league.

Whatever happened seemed to have happened quickly, without warning and I the height they would fly at doing their job leaves little margin to recover and threw the whole concept in doubt.

Flow as a normal operational, if rather slow light aeroplane seems fine, just when it tried to do it's job it was caught out.

Shame as there was a lot of promise and like for example the BN Islander, finding a niche market that would mean low to medium demand over an extended period which British manufacturing would be better at.

Sadly, it was one of those very nearly but not quite and the money just wasn't there to continue. It has been the subject of a few attempts to be resurrected and there is a current project under way. The demand for a cheap spotter is still there and probably always will be.

Maybe, one day, it will rise phoenix like. I hope it does because I doubt if there was anything wrong with the design that could have been sorted.

[gordon-in-aberdeen]

I didn't know what to expect from the handling other than you'd expect it to stay aloft with very little help. On taking off from Brum.. it needed a shed load of up elevator to stop it wanting to fall back to earth. I'm guessing the elevator gearing is very fine (hence the perceieved excess required) as I managed to get it flying level-ish ok. Similar trim input on many models would have had their noses high in the air! Still.. the handling characteristics are still a little odd. I think perhaps cruise was compromised to enable very low speed flight.. something it will do with ease. Aileron response can only be described as surprisingly slow.

I've been having a lot of fun with this as well Dave. Not sure if anyone else's noticed but I found by accident (I hit button on joystick in error) that it has invisible landing gear retraction

If you retract its landing gear which I didn't think it shouldn't be able to do, it suddenly needs a lot less elevator to fly level. Nothing changes on the outside but she'll bolt up like a shot if you pretend to pull the gear up.

[DaveB]

Well bless my soul Gordon. I'd not noticed that but I'll certainly look. I reckon it gives it oodles of extra drag to enable it to fly slowly. Others use invisible airbrakes

Cheers me dears

ATB
DaveB

[gordon-in-aberdeen]

Might act diferent on your rig Dave but worth a try.
Only realised it was the gear which I'd pulled up & made the difference to the speed when I burred the kite in the deck net time I tried to land her, much to my surprise

Just remember to dangle the Dunlops back down again before you land or you'll scrape her on the tarmac

[Garry Russell]

As real as it gets

[DaveB]

That's me out then. Invisible speed brakes I can cope with. Unless the invisible landing gear comes with a mouselook to say it's either up or down.. I can see some scraped bellies coming
ATB
DaveB

[gordon-in-aberdeen]

Big question is -

A. is it meant to fly the way it does with the invisible gear down?
or
B. is it meant to fly the way it does with the invisible gear up?


I wonder of there's anything that can be changed in the aircraft config to tidy it up a bit?

I did wonder Dave at the small gauge on the overhead panel with the plan of the aircraft.
It has three lights on it, but I'm not sure what they appear to show.

I'll keep investigating, I'm having to much fun to give up on it yet...