I agree. Off the crank would eliminate the flexing and belt alignment issue. Except now the internal gearing has to be changed to make it spin as if it had the mechanical advantage that is lost. It's a neat system for sure, but can you imaging how fast that little mouse in there is running to spin it.. lol

I was a maintenance warrant. I always told the flyboys I had a skill.. Nothing but admiration for all my warrant brothers but I can still tease them.
I'm old school where we all wore the squashed bug ( Rising Eagle ) on our collar, now they wear branch insignia so everyone knows who and what they do. I had many senior officers ask what I did,
and the answer was whatever needed to be done.
I usually knew as much or more about anything touching the maintenance field. Not bragging, if you can do it.
Now I look totally bewildered when I talk to this new bunch of younger soldier/officer.

Dave