Hi Doug,
You can note that the weight of the nacelle (mainly the generator) is far higher than the hub and the blades together. Rope-drive transmission saves this weight.
An equivalent wind turbine (100-200 W range) would weight far more. The mechanism of right angle pulley is perhaps as heavy as a hub (so, heavier than the blades combined).
The donut is flat on the ground, then arises by its helium then the lifter kite.
For your home:
A first example to illustrate an airborne wind energy system for individual use. A torus with an outer diameter of 13.125 m and an inner diameter of 7.5 m, a tube diameter of 2.8126m, a surface area of 286 m² leading to a weight of about 46 kg (0.16 kg/m²) without the fixations, a volume of 201 m³ leading to a lift of 212 kg with helium and 241 kg with hydrogen, could integrate a wind turbine with a rotor diameter of 7.1 m, weighing 0.5 t [8], but being far from being able to lift it. However, a similarly sized wind turbine equipped with a rope-drive transmission of type Kiwee [1 and 2] could be lifted even without the lifter kite.
(PDF) Torus surrounding a rope-drive wind turbine. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/396514805_Torus_surrounding_a_rope-drive_wind_turbine [accessed Oct 17 2025].