I wonder what design choices were considered and rejected. Was there a missed option that would have been better? Numerous possibilities pop in to mind... The

I wonder what design choices were considered and rejected. Was there a missed option that would have been better? Numerous possibilities pop in to mind... The rear landing gear could have been made to extend more, by telescoping or folding. The rear landing gear could have been attached more outboard, letting it be longer without the wheels colliding in the middle. Perhaps something else would need to move a bit to make room. The rear landing gear could have been stowed as the B52 bomber stows landing gear, asymmetrically with one going in front of the other. This would let it be taller since it would be able to cross over the midline of the aircraft. An engine could be flatter if it had two turbines side by side. The cost of engine removal is still low since the aircraft still only has two engines to remove, and the pilot training is the same because there are still only two engines to control. Really, that isn't a quad-jet. Letting the fan portion of the engine peek up over the wing is an interesting thought.