Following some aviation accidents involving commercial planes, you have probably heard that the first actions taken are those of search, rescue and recovery of plane occupants, but also the search and recovery of black boxes. But, to the surprise of some, the black boxes in aviation are painted orange. If you are curious, we invite you to read about the history of the "black box".
Since its invention and throughout its evolution since the 1950s, the "black box" has been crucial to maintaining and improving the safety of commercial aircraft. Component supply specialists Artemis Aerospace explore this essential piece of equipment and how it has evolved into the modern technology used by the industry today.
The "black boxes" of an airplane actually officially have two distinct names: Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).
The first black boxes, literally, appeared around the 1950s and had a magnetic tape inside on which the flight data was recorded. They were fireproof boxes, painted black, to protect the magnetic tape. The term "black box" was popularized by the British during World War II.
The problem with black boxes in those days was low visibility and they were hard to spot after plane crashes. In this context, the regulations stipulated that all flight recorders should be painted in "international orange" in order to be seen more easily in case of accidents. Although the color in which they were painted was changed, the name of the recorders remained as "black boxes". Currently we can associate the name with something bad because they are accessed only after plane crashes or more serious incidents.
Although the first black boxes were invented by Australian scientist David Warren, the earliest known design was made by François Hussenot and Paul Beaudoin at the Marignane Flight Test Center in France in 1939.
Until the 1950s, flight recorders were mainly used on military aircraft. However, in 1953 David Warren's prototype FDR "The ARL Flight Memory Unit" was designed specifically for post-accident investigations of civilian aircraft and was the first to record cockpit voices as well as instrument readouts. board.
As records became digitized, this resulted in the FDR and CVR being combined into a single unit called the CVDR.
Most commercial aircraft are now additionally equipped with a QAR (quick access recorder), which means that data can be quickly accessed in the event of less serious incidents such as unplanned deviations that require further investigation.
Today's systems are digitally controlled and include built-in test equipment that records how the aircraft is performing. This means that potential problems can be identified and resolved before an incident occurs, making air travel even safer and more efficient.
Black boxes have evolved and tracking systems have been perfected. For example, FDRs are equipped with an underwater locator beacon that is automatically activated when an incident occurs and the aircraft reaches water.
And the future in aviation will certainly be safer. The US NTSB (National Transport Safety Board) has long lobbied for the installation of cockpit video recorders to improve the quality of information that can be gathered following an incident. However, this has not been without controversy and ALPA (Airline Pilots Association) has raised concerns about privacy.
Whatever the future holds for flight data recorders, they will continue to be critical to maintaining the safety of air travel.