computer controlled?
cheap enough for the common man?
ubiquitous?
l found this article from a couple of years ago: http://popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/2932316.html

and this one:http://cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/10/31/future.aircraft/

still manually controlled, but maybe electric

oh and they will fly (hopefully)

their will always be need for a pilot, in the advent of a computer problem. the new planes will be the size of the current ones, but far more fuel efficient, like the boeing 787. plane manufactures are looking into blended wing design for the future.

No pilots on board, UAVs.

l do not care how good ur autopilot is.or how good the onboard stablization systems r of the future.there WILL ALWAYS be a need for a guy up front with stick & rudder skills.when the $hit hits the fan.that is all that is going to matter..You know..a passenger once asked me.you r going to keep us safe arent you? My reply was yes..because if this thing hits the ground.unless it is tail first.im the first to go.so.as long as im still breathing.you have a fighting chance.haha.What kind of autobot will fight for ur life like that rather than another life & soul themselves?.anyway, planes of the future will not stray far from what we have now.more fuel efficient..higher speeds.etc.good luck

Jonathan S
ATP-LRJET,HS-125
CFI/AGI

They will be very similiar to the latest aircraft flying around these days, Perhaps more fuel efficient, safer and faster. These days the on board computers are controlling the aircraft to quite an extent. Perhaps they will help the pilot more and more in the future. Flying will still be within the reach of the common man.

If u have noticed, most airliners have changed little in general appearance in the last 40 years. The materials they r made of, electronics & of course engine technology have improved greatly, but the basic shape/profile has changed little. The reason? It is what works best for subsonic flight.

Look at all ur little 4 door sedan cars on the road today. From the back & sides, the all have the same basic shape & size. Reason? It is the best shape for fitting in 4 people, 4 doors, a 6 cyl engine & trunk with the best aerodynamics, minimum size & weight & ease of mass production.

Ever since the pioneers of aviation, they have being trying to make airplanes as common as the car. Ford Flivver back in the 30's. The piper cub was the supposed model T of aviation. The aircoupe was steered just like a car & all the negatives designed out of it. The cessna 172 with it is land o matic landing gear. Something these guys never got is that the majority of the people, do not like to fly. So we wo not airplanes in every garage.

As for the rest of us. Airplanes r getting more expensive because they r adding more technology. But at the same time light sport & ultralights r becoming more & more common because of their simplicity.

And l suppose if current trends r followed. Most airplanes that r flown today, r the same airplanes of the past. There r plenty of cubs, ercoupes, & early cessnas still flying. So l imagine that in fifty years from now, they will still be flying the same airplanes we r now.

They're already computer controlled to some extent. l doubt we will ever see a pilot-less aircraft in this lifetime. Such a thing has been possible for some time. but as many reasons as make it a good theory, make it a bad practice!

They could probably be mass produced much more cheaply, if the demand existed. The basics of flight r not complicated. Ultralight aircraft can be very inexpensive. Most of the expense originates from complexity, longevity, safety features, electronics, propulsion systems, etc. You can buy a brand new car for around $10,000US, or u can spend many times that. Both will take u from A to B, one will take u with bare-bones technology & minimal comfort, the other can park itself when it gets there, & has every feature u can think of, for safety, convenience, & luxury.

Never ubiquitous in this lifetime. Driving a car poses a challenge for many people (look around). Imagine the garden-variety motorist now burdened with the additional tasks of not having a road & street signs, plus having to maintain an additional dimension of travel & extra control surfaces? And u just KNOW most of them would be on the phone the whole time.