Breakthroughs in aircraft design are few and far between; what we are seeing now are incremental improvements that nevertheless aim for ever greater efficiency and performance. Many of these improvements are under the skin of modern aircraft, such as new avionics, improved systems and, most important, the engines that make flying possible.
While there have been major breakthroughs in electric motor design, it’s unlikely that electric-powered aircraft will be carrying significant loads–more than a handful of passengers–anytime soon. Battery technology, while gaining ground, just isn’t up to the task and might never match the energy density of carbon-based fuels.
Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.
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