AeroElvira Optica

Name: AeroElvira Optica
Brand: Microsoft / Got Friends
Price: 9.99 USD
Rating: 4.8 (37 reviews)

Microsoft / Got Friends

AIRCRAFTFIXED GEAR

4.8/5 (37)

USD 9.99

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This item is discounted for MSFS Deluxe or Premium owners
Added: July 15, 2025
Updated: October 30, 2025

The Microsoft Flight Simulator AeroElvira Optica is available in two variants: the Series 300 and the Series 301, each of which is available in a passenger configuration and a scientific research configuration. The package comes with the following liveries, available for both configurations of both variants: Aether, Cascade, Interceptor, Nebula, Scout, Solaris, Tempest, Vortex.

The OA-7 Optica is a single-engine, 3-seat observation and reconnaissance airplane by AeroElvira Limited of Salisbury, England. The aircraft is an evolutionary upgrade of the original EA-7 Optica that was developed by British aviation company Edgley Aircraft and its founder John Edgley. The EA-7 Optica took its maiden flight on December 14, 1979 and a total of 22 airframes were manufactured by various companies. John Edgley established AeroElvira in 2007 to continue refining the unique and highly capable specialized design. Only a few of the original models remain, including G-BOPO, which AeroElvira has comprehensively restored and upgraded to new standards.

In the mid-1970s, British aerospace engineer John Edgley began an initiative to develop a surveillance and observation aircraft like none other. He sought to provide the observational capabilities of a helicopter in a fixed wing airplane that provided much longer loiter time and greater efficiency than a rotorcraft. His criteria included having a cockpit that optimized field of view, the ability to fly low and slow, high maneuverability, long on-site loiter time, and a quiet propulsion system. The result was the Optica, the name of which references the operational focus of the airplane. Distinctive in appearance, the Optica is renowned as one of the most successful specialized aircraft ever developed.

The Optica’s nose-mounted, 3-seat cockpit features a wrap-around canopy that provides a 270-degree panoramic view with direct visibility above and below the aircraft. Its high-aspect-ratio straight main wing is optimized for slow speeds and long-endurance missions. It features two tail booms that extend to an empennage composed of twin vertical stabilizers connected by a horizontal stabilizer. The Optica’s propulsion system consists of a quiet, ducted fan located behind the cockpit at the midline of the main wing. It uses a fixed tricycle undercarriage for ease of take-off and landing.

The Optica is famous for its high-visibility canopy, extended loitering capability, quiet operation, and precision handling at low speeds. Its diverse applications include scientific observation, geotechnical surveying, aerial photography and videography, military and law enforcement surveillance missions, firefighting observation, and flightseeing. While it lacks vertical take-off, landing, and hovering capabilities of a helicopter, the Optica offers comparable surveillance and observation advantages, with the added benefits of longer flight duration and lower operational costs.

Whether exploring landscapes at low altitudes or soaring among the clouds thousands of feet aloft, the Optica consistently delivers an exceptional and memorable flight.

The Optica measures 26 feet, 9 inches in length, stands 7 feet, 7 inches tall, and has a wingspan of 39 feet, 4 inches. It is powered by a Lycoming IO-540-V4A5D 6-cylinder reciprocating engine that develops up to 260 horsepower and turns a 5-blade, fixed-pitch, ducted fan.

The Optica has an endurance of eight hours, a range of 656 miles, a service ceiling of 14,000 feet above sea level, and a climb rate of 800 feet per minute. It has a full-flaps stall speed of 44 miles per hour, a cruising speed of 115 miles per hour, a top speed of 132 mph, and a loiter speed of 81 mph.

VERSION 1.2.2 RELEASED OCTOBER 22, 2026

Fixed Marketplace Title Data
Fixed Marketplace Creator Data
Fixed Marketplace Historical Data
Fixed Marketplace Description Data
Fixed Marketplace Support Data
Fixed Marketplace Tags Data
Fixed Marketplace Thumbnail Data
Fixed Marketplace Background Data
Fixed Marketplace Slider Data
Fixed Marketplace Scroller Data
Fixed Marketplace Liveries Data

VERSION 1.0.0 RELEASED JANUARY 31, 2024

Initial Release of the AeroElvira Optica for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

VERSION 1.0.1 RELEASED JANUARY 25, 2024

Added Additional Liveries (8 Total)
Seperated Series 300 and 301 Liveries
Added Camera System to Series 300 "Scoutmaster" Liveries
Fully Developed Multi-Sensor Camera System HTML
Added Additional Sounds to Camera System
Added Tooltips and XML Coding to Camera System
Added Additional and Improved 3D Model LODs
New Hangar Description Added
Fixed Floating Seatbelt Component on Passenger Seat
Updated Flight Manual with Fixes and New Camera VCockpit Page
Fixed Various Sound Discrepancies
Fixed Various Texture Discrepancies
Fixed Various 3D Model Decal Z-Orders
Fixed Exterior HUD Overlays and Green, Yellow, Red Arcs
Fixed Interior Airspeed and Tachometer Gauge Textures
Added Additional Instrument Cameras
Added Additional Checklist Library Steps
Improved Weathervaining on Flight Model
Added Exterior Fuselage and Component Icing Effect
Improved Canopy Glass Icing Effect
Fixed Pilot and Copilot Idle Pose Positions (Male Head Clipping Fixed)
Removed Combustion and Heat Effects from Drainage Pipe
Slightly Adjusted Main Exhaust Combustion and Heat Effects
Adjusted FLTs and thier Local Variable Conditions
Added New 'SCOUT' Model Folder and 'SCOUT' Panel Folder
Added Series 300 or Series 301 to Livery UI Variation Text
Adjusted Systems.cfg for Additional Camera System on Series 300
Replaced Thumbnails on All Liveries
Adjsuted Fallbacks on All Liveries for Minimum File Size Reduction
Changed Passenger Text in Flight_Model.cfg
Adjusted Compass Light Legacy Effect
Fixed GNS-530 HTML UV Unwrap (Cleaner Display)
Decreased Steam Clock Ticking Sounds
Adjusted Avionics Brightness Parameters on All Glass Displays
Fixed Pitot Cover 3D Model
Added VR Controller Support
Added VR Zoom Support
Added Permanence in Systems.cfg to Spot Light Drag, Camera Drag, and Copilot Visibility
Fixed Snow Enviroment Sounds in WWISE Soundpack (Use to be connected to Rain)
Added Better Smoothing and Fading to all Exterior Lights
Fixed positioning of Landing Light, Taxi Light and Nav Light (Tail) in Systems.cfg
Added Mixture Lever Highlight to all Mixture Checklist Items
Fixed Tooltip Debug Texts on Transponder and Elevator Trim Clues in Checklist
Fixed Contact Point Sound Definitions to Play Proper Scrapes, Rolling, Skidding and Splashing Sounds
FM Empty Weight (Roll/Pitch/Yaw/Coupled) Recalculated
FM CFD Voxel Count Increased
FM Drag and Propeller Thrust Improved
FM aileron_down_drag_coef Decreased
FM fuselage_lateral_cx Decreased
FM lift_coef_aoa_table Improved to Match True Stall Speeds
FM drag_coef_zero_lift and Propeller Thrust Improved to Match True Top Speed S.L.
FM All Control Surface Effectivenesses Improved for Natural Response Timing
FM elevator_trim_effectiveness Increased
FM pitch_stability Increased
FM Flap Configuration Improved
Simplified Autopilot Setup with More Realistic Handeling
Added Camera Lense in Visible Position for Other Multiplayer Series 300 Aircraft
Moved HTML Registrations on Exterior to Fix Flickering at high FOVs
Removed Door Open from Apron.FLT upon Spawn (Multiplayer Fix)
Fix Skewed UV Map on Left Side Door Handle in 3D Model
Fixed Headphones Simulation with Ai Engine Sounds
Improved Window Open/Close Sounds while Flying

VERSION 1.0.2 RELEASED JANUARY 1, 0

Improved Climb Performance
Fixed Headphones Simulation on Exterior
Added Multi-Language LOC Files
Fixed Z-Fighting Registration Numbers
Fixed Tachometer HUD Display
Removed G-Meter from HUD Display
Fix VOR/CDI Tooltip Location
Improved Flight Assistant Landing/Take-Off
Fixed Cruise Spawn / Autopilot Configuration
Improved LODs
Adjusted Aircraft Audio
Adjusted 3D Model Slightly
Adjusted Various Animations
Fixed Oil Pressure Curve and Gauge

VERSION 1.0.3 RELEASED FEBRUARY 20, 2024

Fixed Upper Camera Views Clipping into Ceiling
Fixed .localization Hangar Description for Portuguese (PT)
Fixed Flaps Tooltip Text to Match HUD Text
Fixed Airspeed Indicator Model, Texture, Animation and External HUD
Fixed Various .FLTs for Spawning In-Flight
Updated Flight Manual Performance Metrics

VERSION 1.0.4 RELEASED APRIL 30, 2024

Fixed Airspeed Placard References
Fixed Aileron Trim Increments
Fixed Inverted Aileron Trim Drag Animation
Fixed VR Flap Drag Issue (Added Trajectory)
Fixed VR Fuel Selector (Added Trajectory)
Fixed TAA Scale Issue on AP/XPDR Panels
Fixed Hanger Description Text

VERSION 1.0.5 RELEASED MAY 31, 2024

Adjusted Flight Stick Animation
Fixed Com 2/Nav 2/Com 3 Implementation
Updated Soundpack
Updated Ai Soundpack
Updated International Localization for Hangar Description

VERSION 1.0.6 RELEASED JUNE 30, 2024

Adjusted Taxi and Landing Lights Positions (Based off Trailer Bug)
Fixed Hangar Re-Localization Error (English Added to All Languages)

VERSION 1.0.7 RELEASED JANUARY 1, 0

Soundpack Updated (Engine and Enviromental Sounds)
Localization Pack Updated (International Hangar Texts)
Ground Handeling Updated

VERSION 1.0.8 RELEASED AUGUST 20, 2024

Alligned Optica with MSFS 2024 / 2020 (File Naming - Coding)
Fixed Transponder not Showing Flight Level
Fixed Marker Beacons not Displaying (Marking)
Removed Additional LODs Until we find a Solution between MSFS 2020 and 2024

VERSION 1.0.9 RELEASED AUGUST 25, 2024

Fixed Inverted Trim Tab Animation
Release Candidate Version: Files Cleaned for Release

VERSION 1.1.0 RELEASED AUGUST 31, 2024

Fixed a Very Distracted Z-Fighting Decal for Users with Lower-End PCs / VR.
Minor Clean-Up of Files to Ensure Easier File Management between MSFS 2020 / MSFS 2024.
Finalized Servo-Trim Animation and Verified Condition
Removed an Accidental Emissive Material
Fixed Audio Issue with Multiplayer Aircraft and Enviroment
Slightly Adjusted Icing Effect within 3D Model Polygon Budget
Removed Flight Manual from Sources due to Online Availability in the Future

VERSION 1.1.1 RELEASED SEPTEMBER 5, 2024

Ajusted Window and Ground Sounds
Added GTN-750 Coding for Future Support
Fine-Tuned Autopilot Configuration
Added Aircraft.cfg Type Designators for Multiplayer

VERSION 1.1.2 RELEASED SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

Fixed Multiple Sound Issues
Fixed Multiple Avionic Animation Issues
Updated Paintkit and WWISE Project Files
Fixed Sampling Animation Issue with AS530 Avionics Knobs

VERSION 1.1.3 RELEASED OCTOBER 3, 2024

Added Pre-Flight Covers in Preparation for MSFS 2024
In MSFS 2020, Pre-Flight Covers are only visible in Hangar
Added Additional Tooltips for MSFS 2024 Configure Menu UI
Adjusted Aircraft.cfg for MSFS 2024 Preparation
Added Various New Textures
Changed Observation Varient to Scientific Varient for MSFS 2024
Added New MSFS 2024 Coding for Synced Integration
Added New MSFS 2024 Thumbnails for Synced Integration
Adjusted Aircraft.cfg for MSFS 2024 Synced Integration
Adjusted Cockpit.cfg for MSFS 2024 Synced Integration
Adjusted Lighting .FX for MSFS 2024 Synced Integration

VERSION 1.1.4 RELEASED OCTOBER 25, 2024

Release Candidate Version
Fully Upgraded Flight Model
Fully Upgraded Electrical Systems
Added LODs to Interior and Exterior Models
Added Additional Coding for MSFS 2024 Syncronization
Adjusted All CFGs, FLTs and XMLs
Adjusted All Visual Effects
Adjusted All Lights and FX Parameters
Finalized All 3D Modeling and Artwork
Added Preflight Covers
Fixed Various Interaction Bugs
Fixed Various Memory Leaks
Fixed Various HTML Loops
Fixed Various Texture Issues
Added Additional Localization Data
Finalized Sound Packs
Finalized Checklists
Finalized Camera Views

VERSION 1.1.5 RELEASED NOVEMBER 1, 2024

Alligned ICAO Aircraft Type Designators for Multiplayer Conflictions
Adjusted Hangar View with Preflight Covers
Updated Glass Smudge Texture
Updated Working Title v2 Brightness Controllers
Updated Positions of Blue Pins on Preflight
Updated Sound.XML Organization
Updated SoundAI.XML Organization

VERSION 1.1.6 RELEASED NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Fully Ingested Final LOCs for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024

VERSION 1.1.7 RELEASED JANUARY 8, 2025

Temporarily Removed Heat Blur Effects while in VR
Fully Upgraded to Modern Fuel System to Fix Career Refueling Issues
Modified First Aid Kit Artwork
Added New Thumbnails to Account for First Aid Kit Artwork Changes

VERSION 1.1.8 RELEASED MARCH 11, 2025

Reverted to Original Fuel System (Fixed in SU1)
Fixed Spawning with Elevator Trim Full Forward
Removed Heat Blur VR Check (Right Eye Fixed in SU1)
Reverted Avionics Brightness (Avionics Fixed in SU1)
Fixed Exterior Registration Color and Added Dynamic Support
Fixed Headphone Mode not Allowing for Aircraft Exit/Entrance
Added Additional Thumbnails for Career Mode and Configure Menu
Synced Mandatory Exterior Coding Updates with Interior Updates Section

VERSION 1.1.9 RELEASED SEPTEMBER 25, 2025

VERSION 1.2.0 RELEASED OCTOBER 4, 2025

Fixed Various Issues with WT530/KAP140
Fixed VLOC Issues with Autopilot
Fixed NAV CDI Issues with WT530
Fixed Excessive Landing Feet/Sec Landing Rate
Updated Panel.cfg Pixel Resolutions
Updated Cockpit.cfg with Glass Gauge Coding
Removed Com2/Nav2/Com3/ADF Coding
Removed Various Avionics Code from FLTs
Removed G-Meter from External HUD

VERSION 1.2.1 RELEASED SEPTEMBER 25, 2026

Replaced Asobo's KAP140 Autopilot System with Got Friends KAP140 (Custom APGA) System
Replaced Asobo's CDI Gauge with Got Friends CDI Gauge and Compatibility with APGA System
Added Missing Flight Performance Parameters for Improved EFB Simulation and Control
Fixed Various Autopilot Nav Following, HDG Following and Overall PID Datasets
Fixed Engine Startup Sounds Missing/Dampened from Interior Cockpit View
Fixed Brightness on KAP140, Transponder and Camera Screen (Scientific Variant)
Fixed Copilot Seat for Shared Copilot/Passenger (Compatibility with Copilot Addons)
Updated Keyboard Response and Force Feedback Parameters for Improved Responses
Updated Stick and Rudder Profile for Improved Ai/Autopilot Usage
Removed Incompatible Landing VFX and Added Latest Landing VFX for Hardware Optimization

AeroElvira Optica

Microsoft / Got Friends

All-Time Ratings