Mart,
Three quick points about the Intermeshing configuration, based upon actual hands-on knowledge;
1/ The Prewitt report speaks well of the Flettner Intermeshing handling characteristic. Particularly, when it is compared to the Sikorsky craft of the same era.
2/ The Kaman Intermeshing (Synchropter) was used at one point in time for the initial training of Armed service pilots. It is said that this was discontinued because the training did not prepare the pilots well enough for the more difficult single rotor configuration.
3/ I spoke to Dick DeGraw specifically about his Intermeshing 'Hummingbird' on two occasions. He never mentioned control problems, other than the transition into autorotation, which is a slightly greater concern on the Coaxial because the Coaxial is totally 'differential collective'.
Obviously, the Intermeshing configuration is not perfect. The challenge and the pleasure is in the belief that it can be brought closer to perfection than can the other current configurations.
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I am also leaning toward the Interleaving configuration as being the optimal one for future rotorcraft.
The "distributed drivetrain", which concerns you, will likely be much less complex than that on Tilt-rotor craft.
For now, simply consider the application of the Advancing Blade Concept to the Interleaving configuration. ~ for fast forward flight (mu = 1.0) and for hover.
Consider the ABC-Interleaving in respect to the bottom sketch on this Web page
http://www.unicopter.com/1506.html.
Then consider the ABC-Interleaving in respect to the sketch on Web page
http://www.unicopter.com/1505.html
Forget for now, the fact that the coming future developments of Active Blade Twist and of Individual Blade Control will do MORE for the Interleaving configuration than for any other configuration.
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If and when there is a desire for a technical discussion on the Interleaving Configuration, I would suggest that it be started in a thread of its own.
Dave