ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK THE HISTORY OF THE BLACK BOX'

From its invention and throughout its evolution, the 'black box' has been crucial for maintaining and improving commercial aircraft safety since the 1950s. Here, component supply specialists ARTEMIS AEROSPACE explore this essential piece of equipment and how it has developed into the modern technology used by the industry today.

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AIthough commonly referred to as a 'black box', the device's official name is flight data recorder (FDR) or cockpit voice recorder (CVR).

Originally, flight recorders consisted of magnetic tape encased in a fireproof box that was painted black to protect the metal and prevent rust, hence the terminology 'black box' - an expression that was made popular by the British during World War II.

However, after FDRs were mandated by the aviation industry in the 1960s, regulations stipulated that all flight recorders must be painted in 'international orange' - making them highly visible and easy to distinguish in the event of an incident.

EARLY FLIGHT RECORDERS

 Although the Australian scientist, David Warren, is credited with inventing the first flight and voice recorders for the commercial aviation industry, the earliest known design was made by François Hussenot and Paul Beaudoin at the Marignane flight test centre in France in 1939.

The 'Hussenograph' was a photograph-based flight recorder that used scrolling photographic film and recorded instrument data, such as altitude and speed. Hussenot's and Beaudouin's legacy lives on through the Société Française des Instruments de Mesure, which they founded in 1947 and today forms part of the multi-national manufacturer of aircraft engines and equipment, Safran group. During WWII, Len Harrison and Vic Husband developed a crash and fireproof flight recorder for the Ministry of Aircraft Production, setting the standard for today's modern units.

THE FIRST FLIGHT RECORDERS FOR COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT