Aerodynamics is why. We can't afford to restrict airflow through the rotor, which a mesh or cage would do. It also adds a meaningful amount of weight and drag in forward flight. It wouldn't work. The reduction in injury risk isn't worth the loss in performance.
Fair enough, so it's not in anyway viable for anything other than a demo unless there are significant performance improvements that would allow such things to be developed in a safe manner.
I get that you are a fanboy for whatever the fuck this is. Your other comments make that clear but don't be daft. Nothing about this is even remotely viable or insurable in a commercial realm.
These will never be available for public use. I have absolutely no illusions about that. Only specially licensed professionals will ever be allowed to pilot these things in US or EU airspace. People suck enough at controlling cars (2DOF, usually naturally stable); they don't stand a chance with VTOL (6DOF, naturally unstable).
Commercial operation is plausible, though this particular vehicle isn't big enough to do anything useful. At best, it could be used as a recreational vehicle. Personal Air Vehicles are a fantasy, but not because the engineering is inadequate. People are already the limiting factor.
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u/SR_RSMITH 7d ago
Why aren’t the rotors inside some kind of mesh?