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From the article ----------- Boeing says that it can again fix the software to avoid the problem the FAA just found. It is doubtful that this will be possible
by dba7dba 7y ago
From the article
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Boeing says that it can again fix the software to avoid the problem the FAA just found. It is doubtful that this will be possible. The software load is already right at the border, if not above the physical capabilities of the current flight control computers. The optimization potential of the software is likely minimal.
MCAS was a band aid. Due to the new engine position the 737 MAX version had changed its behavior compared to the older 737 types even though it still used the older types' certification. MCAS was supposed to correct that. The software fix for MCAS is another band aid on top of it. The fix for the software fix that Boeing now promises to solve the problem the FAA pilot found, is the third band aid over the same wound. It is doubtful that it will stop the bleeding.
The flight control computers the 737 MAX and NG use were developed in the early to mid 1990s. There are no off-the-shelf solutions for higher performance.
Boeing's latest announced time frame for bringing the grounded 737 MAX planes back into the air is "mid December". In view of this new problem one is inclined to ask "which year?"
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Ouch...
Introducing a new CPU into airplane like 737 will require another whole series of test/certifications.
And right about now, Boeing management is thinking we could use some of those senior engineers we laid off because we thought they were not needed as our products are now mature.
- kijin 7y agoDamn, I hope those senior engineers charge Boeing an arm and a leg when they are asked to come back.
- menckenjr 7y agoWhat's the over/under on the executives and senior management who made that decision getting fired for it?
- bradknowles 7y agoWhy should the executives suffer any repercussions? It’s not like the wrote any of the doomed software or anything. They desperately need their multi-million dollar bonuses so that they can afford to continue to live such lavish lifestyles. What’s wrong with you people? You act like a few lost lives have some value or something..... /s
- raxxorrax 7y agoI know military jets to have unstable flight characteristics to get advantages in maneuverability that need an operating flight computer. But I have problems accepting this fact for civilian planes, especially if the manufacturer just wanted to save development costs. Because you could simply design a more stable plane. Not trivial, but also not impossible.
- varjag 7y agoYep. Military jets also crash a lot.
- raxxorrax 7y agoI mean it would just be an additional layer of safety. Didn't find my ejection seat on the last flight I took. Another commenter actually said that it isn't really true that the plane is inherently unstable. If so, the error was probably with regulations about classification and Boeing wanting to take a shortcut.
- mgsouth 7y agoThen you probably don't want to fly in a T-tail jet. [0] [1] Or a helicopter [2]. Or in a jetliner at cruise. [3] [4] The fact is, every single airplane ever built is unstable in the wrong circumstances. They stall, they spin, they lose lift, they suffer mechanical failures. Aeronautical engineering, rigorous maintenance, and thorough pilot training have resulted in the safest transportation system that has ever existed, but the only completely stable aircraft is one that's sitting in a hanger. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-tail https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-tail [1] https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/1400/how-do-conventional-and-t-tails-differ https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/1400/how-do-con... [2] https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/35764/are-helicopters-aerodynamically-stable https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/35764/are-helic... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin_corner_(aerodynamics) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin_corner_(aerodynamics) [4] https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/index.cfm/go/document.information/documentid/1020859 https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/...