Reply To: Boeing 737 Max

Airlines usually stick as much as possible to the same plane so they only have to train pilots for one type of plane. Boeing made all the models of the 737 similar enough that once a pilot had a rating for one model, he can fly all of them.
A few years ago, a new larger engine was developed and Airbus started using it. As there is intense competition between Airbus and Boeing, Boeing decided to put it on the 737. This required to change the location of the wheels and move the engines higher so they wouldn’t hit the ground.
By doing this, the plane now handled differently than all the other 737s, and the airlines would not want to buy it. Boeing created a system that automatically moves the nose down a little, to counteract the excessive nose high tendency, and make it act the same way as the other 737s. This system is called Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).

Captain™