Fitting that this should be drafted on St Patrick's Day, and what better way to spend it now Europe's locked down with the Coronavirus?
Spoke early on with the organisers of GoFly, who confirm the Boeing-sponsored challenge is to continue to a fourth phase (for which we've grandfather rights) and also confirm the rules remain unchanged, including those relating to allowable dimensions.
This called for renewed thinking on the format of the latest prototype (to be third to fly, and third time's lucky). Although drawn to a regular octocopter layout that uses all the available thrust, the X-8 arrangement here has more to commend it for the purposes of competition and likely thereafter.
The first reason is that it remains extraordinarily compact.
The second is that it includes redundancy, in so far as it is effectively two separate drones.
The third is that the centres of lift and gravity coincide, to the benefit of manoeuvrability.
The fourth is that it it provides natural accommodation in the form of a sedan chair.
The fifth is that it will look fairly spectacular.
The sixth is that it will work.
