Originally Posted by
hans brinker
Because they can't certify the aircraft without MCAS. At high AOA the engines (being MUCH bigger and WAY further forward) provide too much aerodynamic lift ahead of the CG, pushing the nose up even further. MCAS adds AND trim in this scenario. Just compare the B737-100 with the B737-MAX and you see why they needed to add electronic band-aids to keep it legal.
One can only presume the engines were engineered in that position due to their increased aerodynamic lift profile. An economically motivated trade-off between; (being competitive, pushing the envelope, increasing system complexity), and, (cost, safety, simplicity, and reliability). I used to work on some 737-200’s - probably the first jet I was able to sit jump seat too. Thanks for reigniting some nostalgic memories with that post.
I have no visibility to the design spec, but if there is no vote comparison for sensors that provide critical data, essential to airworthiness, then my eyebrows are raised :/