The rope manufacturers tend to deal with breaking loads which are of great interest to climbers who fall frequently but not, perhaps, so great a concern to experienced rappellers operating in tactical circumstances.
Working up a RAD to carry a herd of elephants is not a great difficulty - tying it into the helo is the concern.
DM - thanks, that site has some useful data.
Rotorboy - this is what I am after - you don't, by any chance, have any email or website contacts for the guys who would have been involved with this ?
I had no doubt that the research has been well and truly done - the problem, as often is the case, lies in tracking it down.
Thanks, guys.