It may have 1/2 the engines, but it has over 2X the drag.
Dumb concept designed to separate governments from their (other peoples) money.
An A320 only uses 2 engines at Take off and climb (10 minutes out of a 2 hour flight). After the first 10 minutes, it could fly on one engine. This thing looks like it needs all three engines just to stay in the air.
4X the frontal area has 4X the drag of a conventional plane.
This is what you call an engineering solution that doesn’t make proper allowances for the social & security ramifications of flying. Flying from the passengers’ perspective ain’t easy and it isn’t likely to improve anytime soon. This is a pipe dream.