Aerosoar releases freeware EA-7 Edgley Optica for MSFS

As expected from the initial reveal just a few days ago, the EA-7 Edgley Optica from Aerosoar is now available for Flight Simulator. It didn’t take long for the developers to release this interesting new aircraft, which is now available for free through flightsim.to.

Aerosoar may be a newcomer to the flight sim world, but they have been rather active in MSFS. The Edgley Optica is actually their second aircraft for MSFS, after the Discus-2b glider.

You may remember the Optica being previously available as a free download, a short-lived endeavor from the creators who brought it to life from FSX. After the intention to bring the Optica up to more acceptable MSFS-standards, Aerosoar decided to kill that first freeware version, to focus on improving the aircraft for a re-release. This is happening now, and the difference is clear: this Edgley Optica looks significantly better than the first one.

This updated model is built from the ground-up, as well as the animations and textures. It even includes a dog companion and winter/snow kit, both of which can be toggled with a cockpit switch. The result is a very pleasurable flying experience, with an aircraft that does look quite good from both the inside and the outside. It’s a great choice to explore the MSFS scenery, even better now after the release of the World Update IV, dedicated to France and the Benelux. An ideal plane to get up close to those châteaux!

The Optica is especially rewarding in VR, with its bubble-like canopy that provides a wide observation point from where you can fully appreciate the scenery below. The real Edgley Optica was actually designed for low observation work, so it’s all the better than you can replicate this experience in VR with this freeware aircraft. Very impressive!

If you are a fan of the Edgley Optica, this will probably provide some entertainment value until Orbx releases their version of the airplane. That’s right, Orbx has recently announced that their first airplane for MSFS is coming soon, and it’s the Edgley Optica too!

Editor’s note: our initial article stated that VR was not supported yet. This seemed to be a problem on our end that has since been fixed, and we’ve updated the article to reflect that. This Edgley Optica works great in VR!