We have basically been refining the last commercial plane design of the 747 for 45 years, since it went into service in 1970.
Except for the Concorde from 1976-2000, there have no radical advancements in commercial aircraft design.
When you look at the aviation progress from 1945 to 1970, it was a revolution of design in just 25 years.
Since then, not so much.
I look forward to the future.
It is tiresome to sit in a tube like cattle.
I wouldn’t say there hasn’t been any advancement, but the price structure of commercial flying isn’t going to support cutting edge aviation development. Basically we have seen a transition to two engines, winglets, and manufacturing with composites. To me the most exciting thing in a while is the shape of the 787 wing. If you study it, it looks more like a bird wing than anything I’ve seen.