Linda:
Is a Ford station wagon unsafe, or simply unsafe if asked to perform like a ferrari?
Technically speaking I have no idea. I have yet to figure out how the thermos knows when to keep hot things hot and cold things cold. How do it know? But let us stay on your argument from a non-technical standpoint.
You state that the "The Robinson way is a cosmetic cover up to avoid major design changes" but you do not state it is an unsafe design. Fans of Formula 1 would argue that Minardi or Jordan or Williams need "major design changes" to compete with Ferrari in Formula 1 but that does not mean the their cars are unsafe. Did the measurable outcome of the intended design of the R22 simply result in measurable performance less than the original design expectations or is the result unsafe?
Here is an interesting observation.
If it was truly an unsafe design, why would 4 out of 4 local FAA DE's be perfectly willing to fly an R22 but only one was willing to fly a rotorway?
So, do you believe it is an unsafe design or that the intended attempt to design a ferrari at that price was not successful? Further without regard for the intent of the design but the result, is the resulting product a reasonable compromise between cost of design and manufacture versus performance and limitations?