Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Boeing engineers appear to have kept themselves busy refining the design of the 737 Max since the company <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2011-08-30/boeing-board-approves-cfm-leap-1b-re-engined-737ng">announced its intention to re-engine the ubiquitous 737NG with CFM Leap-1B turbofans</a>. Apparently, the laws of physics have challenged Boeing’s ambition to minimize airframe and systems changes, judging by the extent to which it now expects to refine the design to achieve the fuel burn and performance targets it set for itself when it launched the Max last August.


Changes to the design announced just last week include aerodynamic improvements to the aft body section, on which designers have extended the tail cone and thickened the section above the elevator to improve the steadiness of airflow. Boeing expects the modifications to eliminate the need for vortex generators on the tail and result in less drag.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
	As expected, in an effort to maintain about the same engine ground clearance of the NG, Boeing plans to use a new engine pylon and strut, along with an eight-inch nose-gear extension and a change to the nose-gear door design. Meanwhile, designers have integrated the engines with the wing to produce aerodynamic lines similar to those seen on the Boeing 787.


A change to the flight control system involves a switch from mechanical to fly-by-wire spoilers to save weight, while an electronic, rather than pneumatic, bleed-air system allows for increased “optimization” of the cabin pressurization and ice protection systems, resulting in better fuel burn.


Of course, Boeing will also need to strengthen the main landing gear, wing and fuselage to accommodate the increase in loads due to the larger engines, which have a fan diameter of 68 inches. Boeing also continues to conduct wind tunnel testing on a possible revision to the wing tips. The company said it will continue to conduct aerodynamic, engine and airplane trade studies as the design team endeavors to finish its work by mid-2013.


“Any new technology incorporated into the Max design must offer substantial benefit to our customers with minimal risk for the team to pursue it,” said Michael Teal, chief project engineer and deputy program manager. “On the 737 Max we are following our disciplined development process and continue to work on an airplane configuration that will provide the most value for our customers.”


Boeing promises the Max will deliver a 10- to 12-percent fuel-burn improvement over today’s 737 and a 7-percent per-seat operating cost advantage over the Airbus A320neo.


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Physics Challenge Boeing’s Minimalist Approach to 737 Max 

Boeing announced design changes to the 737 Max. 

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