11/23/2005. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "The Optica was a revolutionary design to obtain the best possible all-around view that could be obtained by a fixed-wing aircraft. This would make the aircraft very useful in the fields of: police and frontier patrol; pipeline and powerline inspection; forestry and coastal patrol; film, TV and press reporting; and touring. Despite its revolutionary design, it is a no-nonsense aircraft, simple and rugged.

The cabin, shaped like an insect's eye, was mounted ahead of the wing and the ducted fan nacelle. Propulsion came from a four-cylinder Avco Lycoming pusher engine driving a five-bladed fixed-pitch fan, to ensure quietness inside the cabin and from the ground. The considerable flap area gave the Optica STOL capabilities and it could be operated from soft ground. The low wing load with pre-set flaps and low stall speed permitted operations at very low speeds, with an endurance of up to nine hours.

The airframe of the first prototype was constructed in a London workshop, moved to Cranfield for final assembly and flew for the first time in the hands of Angus McVitie on December 14, 1979. Powered by an 160 hp O-320-32B engine, the aircraft was registrated as G-BGMW with the c/n EA7/001. Production was started at Old Sarum, Salisbury, Wiltshire, and the Optica was certified by the UK Civil Aviation Authority on February 12, 1985. The first two production aircraft were delivered to Air Foyle in March, one of those, G-KATY (c/n EA7/004), was leased to Britain's Hampshire Constabulary on May 14, 1985 for trials. Unfortunately it crashed the following day, killing both crewmembers; evidence of mechanical or structural failure was not found.

In October 1985 the company went into receivership with 6 aircraft completed, 16 sold and 4 in various stages of production. In December a new company, Optica Industries, was formed to enable production to continue. The Optica received 46 refinements, from wing fences, upward curved wing tips to new door locks, and was certified for IFR flight. This all led to a change in designation, sales calling it the Optica Mk. 2, but officially known as OA7 Series 300. Despite all improvements sales and production progress was slow.

On January 16, 1987 the factory was hit by an arson attack, destroying all final production jigs, and 8 completed Optica's, only the pre-production aircraft survived. Within a month the company changed its name to Brooklands Aircraft, but on April 14, it was renamed again this time to Brooklands Aerospace. In March 1990 the company called in a receiver and was subsequently taken over by FLS Aerospace (Lovaux) Ltd.

In 1992 an agreement was made with Utva in Yugoslavia for subcontracting and final assembly of the aircraft."