Video answers: Building the 737MAX

Here are the answers to last Friday’s video, enjoy!

Suggested ICAO level for video: 5+

It has paper checklists, a seven-step startup process, a warning light, physical cables to link fight controls to flight surfaces, all of which made it different to other modern aircraft.
The original plan was to replace the 737 with an all-new aircraft.
Fuel efficiency was less important for short-haul flight because these planes traditionally spent less time in the air per day than long-haul aircraft.
Airlines are starting to use narrowbody aircraft for longer and longer flights.
The American Airlines order for an ‘updated’ 737 convinced Boeing to modify the 737NG instead of building a totally new airplane.
It would want a less modern, less efficient plane because they’re cheaper to buy and don’t require expensive training sessions to get their pilots type rated.
Boeing had to move the engine higher and further forward on the wing to be able to fit it with the new, more efficient engine.
MCAS was necessary because the new engine position and increased height of the landing gear created a tendency for the plane to pitch up more than the previous generation.
It was likely caused by a malfunctioning MCAS sensor which kept pushing the plane’s nose down.