In another forum, I recently complained that much of the technological advancement the general aviation industry has seen in my flying career manifests itself only in the instrument panel, not in the airframe or the powerplant. The evidence supporting my complaint is rather abundant, and my own airplane—manufactured in 1966—is something of a poster child.
While it has ADS-B Out, a WAAS-enhanced GPS navigator, an autopilot, a digital engine monitor and assorted other devices not available when it rolled out of the factory, it’s still basically a hand-made, all-metal airplane powered by engine technology dating from the 1930s. No amount of upgraded upholstery or a fancy new paint scheme can hide for long the fact it’s usually older than the passengers I carry. That I can buy a new copy of the same basic airplane is more evidence. Why haven’t the advances in materials and powerplants trickled down to personal aircraft?
