Your approach to seeking outlets from AWE towards current wind energy seems positive to me. I have a similar approach which I have outlined in several posts of which Slow Chat - #51 by PierreB, Slow Chat - #53 by PierreB, Slow Chat - #55 by PierreB : using @Massimo KiteGen carousel, replacing kites with vertical blades in order to achieve scalability in any dimensions towards a better power / space use ratio, towards a wind plant being able to begin to compete with a gas plant, avoiding the still difficult control of the kites, knowing also that in offshore conditions the wind gradient is low, like the expected benefit of high altitude winds. I discussed some similar projects (more power, less material, less space use) next to the forum.
See above, and also rotating reel transmission although it seems it failed for an AWE use.
Concerning the Bendix invention, the path is already well paved. Even if some aspects could be positive, this will not fundamentally change the situation: “eight megawatts (MW)” is a value already commonly achieved by HAWTs.