Feasibility of a Dune Ornithopter
Drone-sized ornithopters have become reasonably flyable outdoors. But scaling works against you. One the size of a large helicopter, capable of vertical takeoff, is tough. Mostly a power problem, like all VTOL.<p>Dune, like much of SF, runs on Rule of Cool. The skilled knife fighter, even shielded, is vulnerable to many of the standard anti-riot weapons, such as projectiles which throw a net. Being hit by an RPG round with a solid warhead would at least knock someone down hard, despite shielding, from sheer momentum transfer. And tanks work just fine in the desert, as has been amply demonstrated in the Middle East all the way back to Patton.<p>[1] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJA5C-ghj4s" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJA5C-ghj4s</a>