SPY-PLANE FLIES OFF IN SEARCH OF A MARKET

摘要

I've travelled in plenty of aircraftrnin my time, from commercial jets to Hercules transporters to Chinook helicopters over Afghanistan. But nothing quite prepared me for the experience of flying in the Edgley Optica.rnVerdant Hampshire stretches out below, a patchwork quilt of fields and farms. The Optica spy-plane, with its distinctive "bug-like" glass canopy, affords a panoramic view of the horizon and countryside. With a simple pitch to the left or right, it's easy to zero in on and track an object below on the ground.rnThe aircraft might typically scan the ground at a height of 1,000ft and speeds of around 100 knots and is designed to carry cameras and other surveillance equipment.