Our annual look at upcoming jet designs is a featured segment that readers regularly look forward to. From relatively modest derivative upgrades to some highly innovative concepts, the landscape for new designs cuts a wide swath.

This month’s product support survey centers on engine manufacturers. If there is one system on an aircraft that depends upon support and reliability, it’s the one that needs to keep turning to keep the aircraft in the air. AIN asked its readers to rate turbofans, turboprops, and helicopters’s turboshafts for their dispatch reliability and manufacturer support to keep those numbers up.

Illegal “gray” charter is assuming a larger and larger role in government and association efforts to ensure that paying passengers are getting the safety standards they deserve. It can be a complicated issue, with violators sometimes not even realizing they are crossing legal lines. The ramifications in the case of a mishap can be severe, not only from the perspective of safety, but also financial, as insurance coverage can be waived if the operator is found to be outside the strict rules that put a legal firewall between Part 135 and Part 91.

On the hybrid/electric front, read senior editor Charles Alcock’s highly informative account of Zunum, an aircraft design effort that had high aspirations, but ultimately crumbled, one misstep at a time. The process of failure can be equally as educational as success, and hopefully just as inspiring.

Finally, AIN continues its new defense coverage in the October issue. We hope you enjoy reading a sampling of the reporting found online; with reporters keeping an eye on developments not only in the Allied countries, but also in Russia, China, India, and around the globe.