MF8 Skewby Copter Plus

MF8 Skewby Copter Plus

A Skewb and a Curvy Copter Plus in one puzzle. The MF8 Skewby Copter Plus was designed by Diogo Sousa (DS Puzzles) and brought to mass production by MF8. In this shape-shifting puzzle, both the edges turn, as on a Curvy Copter, and the corners turn, as on a Skewb. You can freely mix moves from both mechanisms, even after jumbling, so the puzzle very quickly stops looking like a cube.

How this shape-shifting puzzle works

The edges can be turned only partway, which knocks pieces out of their standard orbits. This is called jumbling. The extra cuts of the Plus version also let you swap centers and corners. Skewb moves add combinations that are impossible on a regular Curvy Copter. For example, turning a corner by half a move opens up a new turning plane.

Compared with the older Curvy Copter Plus, the mechanism has been redesigned so that protruding pieces don't block further turns. On its predecessor, it was easy to lock up the puzzle after jumbling, while here pieces that could collide usually slide past each other. However, users mention that one of the small edge pieces can pop out while jumbling. So it's better to turn it calmly rather than aggressively.

How to solve it

The first step is restoring the shape: you need to put the edges back together into rhombuses and send the corners and centers back to their positions. Then all that's left is solving the Skewb and the Curvy Copter. There are few ready-made tutorials, so a lot depends on your own analysis, and the solution looks a little different every time.

Who is it for?

For collectors and for anyone who has already solved the Skewb and the Curvy Copter, ideally including jumbling, and is looking for a truly difficult puzzle. It is not a puzzle for beginners or for speedcubing. It is also not approved for official competitions. Good to know: you can start by scrambling the Skewby Copter Plus with Curvy Copter Plus moves only and add Skewb moves later.

Specifications

• Type: shape-shifting puzzle, a combination of a Skewb (corner turning) and a Curvy Copter Plus (edge turning)
• Manufacturer: MF8
• Designer: Diogo Sousa (DS Puzzles)
• Size: approx. 63 mm
• Weight: approx. 170 g
• Material: ABS plastic
• Adjustment: adjustment screws
• Colors: Black, Stickerless Bright
• Release year: 2019
• Approved for official competitions: no