Whilst on the subject of techy chinook questions, can anybody explain why the undercarriage layout was chosen - ie double-bogey wheels about a third of the way from the front, and singlies at the back? Is it for ground-handling reasons? Or centre of gravity and loading considerations?
I've also wondered how fast can you fly sideways in a Chinook? In my wildest fantasies as an aero-engineer I've often wondered if you could build a chinook with an aerofoil shaped fuselage, then accelerate sideways until you reached a speed where the fuselage produced lift, then transition to a flying wing. A bit uncomfy for the pilots perhaps!