I have read the entire thread with great interest (fixed wing transport pilot, (ret'd), not a heli pilot), and have a basic question in re the missing pin theory - has the presence of all three (six, really) suspension rod-end pins with their two "nappy" retaining pins been confirmed yet? Are there any remnants of the barbecue plate attached to any of the three rods?
Re the loss of one of the three points of suspension and retaining control over the machine, the chair examples are, of course, in compression - if we are suspending a load from three points and one point breaks, the "system" will take up a new physical position defined by the two remaining points of suspension and the vertical loads, (plus the complex mixture of loads offered by the rotating mass as the rotor "disc" changes position), unless some vertical load-bearing capability is retained, if even for a short while, by the MRH/MRG structure, (familiarity with these components only gained by the descriptions of the structure as posted or linked on the thread).
PJ2
The suspension bars don't attach to the barbeque plate. They attach to the gearbox at one end and the aircraft structure at the other. The bottom of the gearbox is the only thing that attaches to the barbeque plate and the barbeque plate is attached directly to the transmission deck at two different points fwd rh and aft lh. Both of these points are attached through the airframe. Hope this helps?