Gearbox designs
JimL
Thanks Jim, the last paragraph is prophetic (re the sync shafts in the 234) and my bleat was just a regurgitation of a long-standing gripe about the introduction into service of that particular aircraft which IMHO had just too many suspect design features, not least the gearboxes and the sync shaft.
I haven't met a Chinook pilot yet that didn't sing the praises of this amazingly capable 'war-machine' but I was never a fan of its presence in the civvy world. The trip from chip light to catastrophic failure seemed just a bit to quick for my liking.
SAS
It's been a long time since I discussed this design in detail, maybe 25 years, and at that time I believe we could not be assured that the angle gearbox would fail in a benign way. If you are telling me that now we different then I'll take your word. Unfortunately if any of the three remaining gearboxes seize then the machine will eat itself and kill all on board. The two that survived the accident in the NS are the exceptions that prove the rule I believe. Lady luck was with those two on that day that's for sure.
G.