Re:Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting a...
by cornellwright on Sunday May 12, 2019 @02:05AM
(#19890436)
Lots of airplanes do weird undesirable things at certain points in the flight envelope. Airplane design is all about tradeoffs. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the aerodynamic design of the Max.
There are serious flaws with a safety system (MCAS) which was added to prevent the need for more training and a new type rating for pilots who are already rated to fly the 737. This needs to be fixed.
Re:Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting a...
by zeroone101 on Sunday May 12, 2019 @08:53AM
(#19891579)
All planes with under mounted engines pitch up under power. Some more than others. The MAX just happens to do it more than a traditional 737.
Re:Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting a...
by jussij on Sunday May 12, 2019 @09:15AM
(#19891665)
I don't think the problem is pitching behaviour.
The problem is the fact the MCAS is required to fix the pitching problem.
Boeing tried to fix the design issue with a workaround solution only to then find they had created another, even bigger problem.
From what I have read, the new aircraft design had a habit of raising it's nose when engine power was applied, which put the plane into a situation where it might stall.
The MCAS was added to automatically detect this behaviour and stop the nose lifting.
So basically, without the MCAS, under certain scenarios the plane had a tendency to want to stall.
That does suggest the aerodynamic design of the plane is less than ideal and this could even be considered a design fault.