No, in normal flight regimes, MCAS is not required. For example, it is disabled at any time, the flaps are extended, that is during starts and landings. It is o

No, in normal flight regimes, MCAS is not required. For example, it is disabled at any time, the flaps are extended, that is during starts and landings. It is only required (by law) at high angle of attacks. In these kind of flight regimes, most other airplanes also have systems to ensure their "stability". The 737 MAX isn't fundamentally more unstable than competitor airplanes with large engines.