737 MAX, may have a very short life...

[Miraculix]

...according to Pratt & Whitney chief executive David Hess.

Apparently it's got to do with size ;)

Pratt CEO Warns Boeing On 737 MAX (http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1315351228.html)

[Intruder]

Sounds like competitive posturing...

It is true that the 737's low wing will restrict the engines available for it, and it will not be able to profit fully from a geared turbofan ( ==> bigger, slower fan) design. OTOH, that is not the only option for engine efficiency. Mebbe GE/CFM have a secret trump card they're ready to play...

[tech-line]

The 737 MAX seems to me just a knee jerk reaction to the A320 NEO.
The NG is a great A/C but it has had its day or decades in the sun!

320 is wider more pax appeal, quieter, has better loading devices ie cargo containers, much more appealing cockpit the list goes on and on.

The NG with the new sky interior is definately a step in the right direction it is a pleasure to work with, but where to from here?

Boeing is talking about finally putting flyby wire on the MAX but only on the spoilers. It has taken Boeing all this time to finally get it right now they want to change it?
Need a more faster simpler flap system, definately needs flyby wire hori stab the cables from drum to drum is a night mare let me tell you!

If embraer can do fly by wire and boeing has it in all of thier newer airframes why not put it on to the MAX?????
Also carbon brakes should be standard not an option.
These are just my opinions what does everyone else say.

I am leaning towards saying the MAX will not be a long lived airframe the 320 has much more room to grow Boeing needs a new machine if they want to stay a dominant force in the narrow body sector.

[Torquelink]

Doing the MAX was inevitable once the NEO was launched: Boeing could not afford to lose the amount of market share - and revenue - while they awaited an all-new aircraft. They have bought themselves time to mature technologies necessary for an all-new aircraft. An all-new aircraft launched today would offer only a 5% improvement in economics over the re-engined current generations and yet the development bill would be at least $6bn compared to $1bn to do the re-engining - arithmetic just didn't work. I suspect that, other than the new engines, Boeing will do the absolute minimum necessary to create the MAX while continuing to develop and stockpile technologies ready for a genuinely game-changing new narrobody for service entry in 2030. Meantime, they have an extra $5bn to do a major update of the 777-300ER in order to fend off the A350-1000.