The sad saga of the Boeing 737 Max has been a slow-burning corporate, engineering, regulatory, human-interest and public-relations nightmare for going on six months now—with no end in sight. The magnitude of Boeing’s deadly foul-up is a frequent topic of conversation in airliner cockpits, and considerable ink has been spilled over the subject in both aviation and general media. Now, I’m not an aeronautical engineer, and I have yet to fly the 737, but quite a few of my friends are current or former 737NG pilots at various U.S. and European airlines. The general consensus is that the Max was simply one stretch too many of an airplane that had already been shoehorned into an ever-expanding number of sizes and roles until it barely resembled the well-considered original design.
Boeing 757: A Modern Classic
Key Takeaways:
- Boeing's reputation for engineering excellence has significantly declined since its 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas, as evidenced by quality control issues with the 787 and the fatal design flaws of the 737 Max.
- The Boeing 757 is presented as an exemplary product of the "old Boeing," praised for its original, robust engineering, exceptional performance, versatility (especially its thrust-to-weight ratio and range), and enduring utility that remains unmatched by modern narrow-body aircraft.
- Despite its capabilities, the 757 was discontinued not due to design flaws but because it was deemed too heavy and expensive to operate by airlines for most missions, and less profitable for Boeing to build.
- The article concludes by urging Boeing's management to refocus on engineering excellence, drawing inspiration from the 757's success, to overcome current challenges and innovate new designs like a potential "New Midsize Airplane" (NMA).
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