> I was shocked when learning to fly how much GA tech was stuck in some weird pre-World War II era state.

This is accurate. Between regulations and insurability, pilots have the choice of newer, less expensive, and more innovative experimental aircraft that are expensive to insure, or FAA-approved aircraft that were not even state of the art in 1952. It's so bad that most people are flying refurbished 1970s model planes because the new ones are identical except for the electronics and upholstery.