Paper manuals and 1960s design: Why the Boeing 737 MAX is 'not a good airplane for the current environment'

Paper manuals and 1960s design: Why the Boeing 737 MAX is 'not a good airplane for the current environment'

New York Times report on the 737 MAX republished in the Brisbane Times.

"Some engineers were frustrated they would have to again spend years updating the same jet, taking care to limit any changes, instead of starting fresh and incorporating significant technological advances, the current and former engineers and pilots said. The Max still has roughly the original layout of the cockpit and the hydraulic system of cables and pulleys to control the plane, which are not used in modern designs. The on-board computers have the processing power of 1990s home computers. A Boeing spokesman said the aircraft was designed with an appropriate level of technology to ensure safety.

"When engineers did make changes, it sometimes created knock-on effects for how the plane handled, forcing Boeing to get creative. The company added a new system that moves plates on the wing in part to reduce stress on the plane from its added weight. Boeing re-created the decades-old physical gauges on digital screens....

"While that design solved one problem, it created another. The larger size and new location of the engines gave the Max the tendency to tilt up during certain flight manoeuvres, potentially to a dangerous angle.

"To compensate, Boeing engineers created the automated anti-stall system, called MCAS, that pushed the jet's nose down if it was lifting too high. The software was intended to operate in the background so that the Max flew just like its predecessor. Boeing did not mention the system in its training materials for the Max....

"'They wanted to A, save money and B, to minimise the certification and flight-test costs,' said Mike Renzelmann, an engineer who worked on the Max's flight controls. 'Any changes are going to require recertification.' Renzelmann was not involved in discussions about the sensors."