POWER

Various planforms were built and tested prior to aligning the current prototype along the lines of an airframe begun three years ago this month, which featured drones around ground- and waist-level.

The present efforts however focus on a personal air vehicle with an upright pilot in a form of 'phone-booth' inspired by those means of 'transporting' the cast-members of Star Trek.

The half-scale octocopter includes quads at ground-level and above head-height, controlled in tandem by a Pixhawk cube configured for X-8 opertion.

The illustration features a 32-inch frame and 12-inch central section supporting 22" propellers as fitted to the prototype.

7th August 2023