There are some aircraft that are fundamentally designed ahead of their time. Whether for market-based reasons, technological factors, or other elements of the development process that set an aircraft apart from its competitors, some jets simply outclass others of the same time period. While you have likely heard of most industry-leading aircraft models (such as the Boeing 787 today or the Boeing 747 three decades ago), others will fly under the radar. Specifically, an aircraft’s technologically advanced nature or uniquely innovative market purpose does not always indicate that it will be a bestseller. The general public (and investors who fund aircraft development programs through ownership shares in airlines) will ultimately remember aircraft programs by their bottom-line sales performance as opposed to any other features.