Boeing Co said on Friday its software upgrade for the grounded 737 Max jetliner will be rolled out in the coming weeks, and that its timeline for deploying the upgrade has not changed.
Boeing has been working on a software upgrade for an anti-stall system and pilot displays on its fastest-selling jetliner in the wake of the deadly Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October. Similarities between the flight path in the Lion Air incident and Sunday’s Ethiopian Airlines crash have raised fresh questions about the system.
Boeing to roll out software upgrade
to its anti-stall system
The Boeing 737 Max incorporates the Maneuvering
Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) – an
anti-stall feature introduced to compensate for the
heavier engines, which changed the aerodynamics
of the jet, tending to push the nose of the aircraft up
HOW MCAS WORKS
AOA sensor
Winglet aligns
itself with
airflow
Level flight: Normal angle of
attack (AOA) – angle at
which airflow hits aircraft
Aircraft trajectory
Air flow
CFM Leap-1B turbofan engine
Nose-up flight
A high AOA puts aircraft at risk
of stalling. MCAS is automatically
triggered, moving the horizontal
stabilizer trim counterclockwise,
which pushes the
jet’s nose down
Longitudinal
axis of aircraft
Angle
of attack
Aircraft
trajectory
Air flow
Measured angle of attack
System activates only when plane is being flown
manually, in flaps-up flight, and typically during
steep turns
the globe and mail, Sources: graphic news;
AP; JAO Aero Media LLC; the New York Times;
Seattle Times; the air current
Boeing to roll out software upgrade
to its anti-stall system
The Boeing 737 Max incorporates the Maneuvering
Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) – an
anti-stall feature introduced to compensate for the heavier
engines, which changed the aerodynamics of the jet,
tending to push the nose of the aircraft up
HOW MCAS WORKS
AOA sensor
Winglet aligns
itself with
airflow
Level flight: Normal angle of
attack (AOA) – angle at
which airflow hits aircraft
Aircraft trajectory
Air flow
CFM Leap-1B turbofan engine
Nose-up flight
A high AOA puts aircraft at risk
of stalling. MCAS is automatically
triggered, moving the horizontal
stabilizer trim counterclockwise,
which pushes the
jet’s nose down
Longitudinal
axis of aircraft
Angle
of attack
Aircraft
trajectory
Air flow
Measured angle of attack
System activates only when plane is being flown
manually, in flaps-up flight, and typically during
steep turns
the globe and mail, Sources: graphic news; AP; JAO
Aero Media LLC; the New York Times; Seattle Times;
the air current
Boeing to roll out software upgrade to its anti-stall system
The Boeing 737 Max incorporates the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation
System (MCAS) – an anti-stall feature introduced to compensate for the heavier engines,
which changed the aerodynamics of the jet, tending to push the nose of the aircraft up
HOW MCAS WORKS
AOA sensor
Level flight: Normal angle of attack (AOA)
– angle at which airflow hits aircraft
Winglet aligns
itself with
airflow
Aircraft trajectory
CFM Leap-1B turbofan engine
Nose-up flight
A high AOA puts aircraft at risk
of stalling. MCAS is automatically
triggered, moving the horizontal
stabilizer trim counterclockwise,
which pushes the
jet’s nose down
Longitudinal
axis of aircraft
Angle of attack
Aircraft
trajectory
Air flow
Measured angle of attack
System activates only when plane is being flown manually,
in flaps-up flight, and typically during steep turns
the globe and mail, Sources: graphic news; AP; JAO Aero Media LLC;
the New York Times; Seattle Times; the air current
Boeing said on Monday it has been working closely with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on development, planning and certification of the software upgrade, and it will be deployed across the 737 Max fleet in the coming weeks.
The FAA expects to approve these design changes no later than April 2019, it has said.
Boeing shares rose as much as 1.5 per cent in midday trading, reversing course from losses of about 1.5 per cent earlier in the session.
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