Gopher, my knowledge of AD is post 1994. Before that I was involved in the spooky stuff, probably with SD. My introduction to the Herc was fitting some kit to the Herc that went south in 82. I am guessing it was the one AA62 took to Belize and on to somewhere else for a paint job by the illiterate sign writer. ( The only knowledge I have of this is from Hutchings book).
Never aware of any attempt to lower the Herc ramp below the horizontal in the air. My contacts at BD who would know, like me have all retired. We did lower the Chinook ramp to drop parcels on 28ft Utilities. Evalu8er may know what effect this had on the stability and control when flying the aggressive evasive manoeuvre on the run in.
You will be aware, I am sure, of Wedge so we could keep the ramp up and open the top door to despatch stores with troops out of the sides. I guess with the airflow had the ramp been open the parachutist may have gone out the side and back in though the ramp.
I am not at all familiar with the tangled stores parachute bags in AA62 picture. Most of the stores chutes used a weak link on the anchor cable so the static line left the aircraft with the load after it had done its job.
It was a pain when 28fts were rigged with Apex weak links as the static lines never got reunited with the chute for re-packing. We changed this over time to standardise procedures. Some of the 28fts we were still using in 2011 were nearly as old as me!