Re: Will the 737 MAX ever be safe?
"The cut corner here is redesign and restructure of the aircraft undercarriage to allow for additional ground clearance."
longer legs == utterly redesigned wheel bays (the wheels almost touch as they fold under) and a major fuselage redesign necessitating major wing work which means certification as a new aircraft and that means fixing a couple of hundred _OTHER_ issues that wouldn't pass muster on a new bird (including that tailplane jackscrew setup). At that point you'd also address the factor that the 737 can't take aviation containers (a major shortcoming if you've ever seen ground handling of their cargo)
That means "new aircraft time"
There's a saying that aircraft are designed around their engines, but it's even more true to say that they're designed around their undercarriage, because changing the way the wheel bays are built into the fuselage usually affects positioning of serious structural components, balance, wing, fuselage, fuel and cargo handling components.
The design might START around the engines and wing but in practice they can be changed a little over time. Once the leg design is locked in place, those CAN'T be changed without scrapping the body and starting over.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
