Alternatives (to rotating cylinders) that I have considered over the past four decades for Magnus-effect Aircraft include short, wide, lightweight moving belts - and - matching discs nearly meeting at the outer circumference.

The belts concept could be thought of as like a conveyor-belt, but short and wide. There would be less turbulence than with plain spinning cylinders. This type of craft I name as 'Beltwings'.

The matching-disc concept incorporates a spinning disc on top matched with a stationary disc underneath. Inside the hollow interior, a counter-rotating device balances-out the rotating torque of the upper disc. The cabin on a small single 'disc' craft can be mounted underneath.  Twin (side-by-side) disc craft can have the retreating semi-circle "buried" inside the fuselage. The acronym that I use for this type is R.U.S.D.A.C.

John Klumpp (developing the Vortexcraft VTOL)