Black Box Flight Recorder
Also called 'Flight Memory Recorder - Dr David Warren's Invention'
In 1953 Dr David Warren led a team (Walter Boswell, Walter Francis Lane Sear and Kenneth Fraser) of engineers, scientists and enthusiasts alike; in developing what has been historically referred as the origins of the modern black box flight recorder which is utilized in all commercial aircraft today.
The technology involved was based upon a cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and a form of flight data recorder (FDR). The technologies involved previously existed in some form or another. It was Dr David Warren’s innovation and vision however that led to the amalgamation of the two separate recorders into a single system, which was referred to as a Flight Memory Recorder. The Flight Memory Recorder could withstand temperatures over 1,000° Celsius and several hundred g-forces, allowing aircraft wreck investigators to analyse the data from several vital aspects of a plane, as well as listen to what was occurring in the cockpit prior to an aviation disaster or incident.
While the Black Box Flight Recorder was invented in Melbourne, first commercialisation occurred in the United Kingdom. It was first mandated for installation in commercial aircraft in the United Kingdom, but this requirement soon spread to the rest of the world. The form of Flight Recorders remained much the same up until the early 21st century when streaming of data via satellite services commenced following the loss of Malaysian Airlines flight MH340 in the Indian Ocean. As MH340 has not yet been located, it's Black Box has not been found and the fate of this flight remains a mystery.
Black Box Flight Recorder Artifacts are at The Melbourne Museum.
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Engineering Heritage Recognition Program
| Marker Type | Engineering Heritage International Marker (EHIM) |
| Award Date | July 2015 |
| Heritage Significance | The Flight Memory Recorder represents a major world breakthrough in the search for a device to record information immediately prior to an air incident or crash. All modern ‘Black Boxes’ can be traced back to the Aeronautical Research Laboratory/Warren work. The recorder is a key element in the improvement in aviation safety which helped ‘sell’ air travel as a safe and efficient method of travel.. |
| Nomination Document | Available here. |
| Ceremony Booklet Ceremony Report |
Not available |
| Plaque/Interpretation Panel Image | Not available |
