EDGLEY E-A7 OPTICA

No, it's not a prop from a James Bond movie. But the Edgley Optica is undeniably one strange, beautiful bird. First flown in 1979, the British-made aircraft looks like an eyeball stuck on the end of a plane. With a giant ducted fan behind the teardrop-shaped, window-filled cockpit, it still looks like the future, almost 35 years after its first flight. This week, the Optica is at the Paris Air Show, and its creator is making "one last push" to get the aircraft back into production, presumably by finding a sponsor or big buyer.

With a maximum speed of 132 mph, a range of 650 miles, and a maximum altitude of 14,000 feet, the Optica is by no means the most advanced surveillance aircraft ever made. In many respects, its numbers look worse than those of drones like the Predator or Reaper. But those million-dollar warplanes are the wrong reference point. The Optica is designed as a cheap, helicopter alternative — a three-seat plane that offers tantalizing views for its human passengers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfYp36mf1lQ