Geoffers,
I cannot speak to the presentation you saw but I do know that synch shaft is actually a lot stronger than imagined as related to blade strikes. Lord knows we chopped down enough trees, power poles, PSP revetments and the like. The blades suffered but I do not know of an event that caused the airframe to tear itself apart unless it was the forward blades sweeping down through the synch shaft area and as far as half way into the cabin.
Usually that occurred after the aircraft sat down on top of an underslung load after having an engine failure and not being able to clear the load before touching down.
I am aware of one event where a ground taxi accident wound up with the forward blades chopping a twelve inch or more wooden power pole into a fence post and the only damage was to the blades and the Flight Engineer's under wear as he was stood against the thing directing the pilot. The blades cut through the pole about a foot above his head (he was a very tall rascal).
I do know she makes a fine boat and in fact I had a radio call sign one time of "Shrimp Boat" while instructing at the "other CFS".
This aircraft had an engine failure and landed on the underslung load....one fatality....guy was standing up when it all went wrong.
The end result of an unplanned EOL after running the aircraft out of fuel.
