Aviation Vocabulary: Flight data recorder (in pictures)

As per Merriam Webster’s dictionary, “Flight data recorder is a device on an aircraft that records information (such as airspeed and altitude) about a flight“. To be more generous A flight recorder, also known as a black box, is an essential electronic recording device installed in aircraft to aid in the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents.

 

Len Harrison and Vic Husband developed a crash- and fire-resistant flight data recorder during World war-II, using copper foil to track                                                                    aircraft data, which was later patented by the Ministry of Aircraft Production.

 

There are two flight recording devices: the flight data recorder (FDR), which records multiple flight parameters per second, and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which captures sounds and pilot conversations in the cockpit. 

 

The first modern flight data recorder, “Mata-Hari,” was created in 1942 by Finnish engineer Veijo Hietala. This black mechanical box recorded essential data during test flights of fighter aircraft in the Finnish Air Force of Finland.

 

The FDR records key data like airspeed, altitude, heading, and vertical acceleration, as well as hundreds of instrument readings and internal conditions.

Sensors across the aircraft connect to the flight-data acquisition unit, which records every pilot action, from flipping switches to adjusting knobs.

A cockpit voice recorder (CVR) is a crucial device that captures the audio environment within an airplane’s cockpit. This essential tool is utilized to investigate accidents and incidents during flights.