It has stood the test of time, and changes much more slowly. But there is some good news. Light aircraft piston engines are reliable not as good as turbines, but then they don t cost as much as turbines either. GA piston engines are said to lag automobile engine development, but that is something of an apple-kumquat comparison. Car engines run at somewhere around 10 to 20 percent power on the highway.
Airplane engines operate with the hammer down in takeoff, climb, and cruise.
There are other areas where they differ and some notable experiments have failed to adapt auto engines on a large scale to small aircraft. Porsche and Mooney gave it a valiant attempt in 1987. This is where throttle, prop, and mixture all play together through one control something the jet folks have come to know and love. Push for go and pull for slow, and the engine adjusts itself to the environment. With a single lever the pilot can t run the engine lean or rich and that should contribute to a more stable operating environment and reduced work load.