This paper looks to future developments and concepts in Systems and Avionics. One hundred years ago neither ‘avionics’ nor even ‘systems’ would have been recognised as having a place in aeronautics. The concept of aircraft systems developed, as the complexity of each element of the aircraft grew, requiring specialism in the design, operation and maintenance of those elements. Early examples would have been the propulsion and flying controls systems. By the 1930s passenger aircraft might have carried, in addition to the pilots, a navigator, flight engineer and radio operator, each responsible for his own collection of systems, with the aircraft itself probably having an embryonic electrical system.