A black box of an airplane (on-board recorder, recorder) is a device that is used in railway, water transport and aviation to record information on-board systems, crew conversations, etc. If any accident happened to the transport, then this data is used to find out the reasons.
History
The first operational flight information recorder appeared in 1939. The French Bodun and Yusseno constructed a light-beam oscilloscope that records each flight parameter (speed, altitude, etc.). This happened by deflecting the corresponding mirror, which reflected a ray of light onto the film. According to one version, the name “airplane black box” appeared (see photo below), because its body was painted this color in order to protect the film from exposure. In 1947, enterprising inventors organized the French Society of Measuring Instruments. Over time, this company became a fairly large manufacturer of equipment and joined the Safran concern.
New modification
In 1953, an Australian scientist, David Warren, who was involved in the investigation of the Havilland disaster, put forward the idea that the availability of recordings of crew talks would be very helpful in such a case. The mechanism he proposed combined voice and parametric recorders, and also used magnetic tape for recording. Warren's recorder had an asbestos wrapper and was packed in a steel case. Probably, from here we have another definition of the concept of “black box of an airplane” - an object with an unknown or unprincipled internal structure that performs certain functions.
David introduced the prototype device in 1956. He also came up with the bright color of the black box on the plane. Four years later, the Australian government ordered the installation of recorders on all available aircraft. Soon, other countries also followed suit.
What's inside?
The black box of the aircraft, the photo of which you can see in the article, does not belong to the category of complex devices. This is a regular array of the controller and flash memory chips. It is not much different from a standard laptop SSD. However, flash memory is used in registrars relatively recently. Now most aircraft are equipped with old models, where recording is carried out on magnetic tape or wire.
Types of recorders
There are two types of registrars: operational and emergency. The first of them is not protected and is used for daily monitoring of the vehicle. The personnel of the railway, water and air transport reads information from the system drives after each flight. Then, the obtained data is analyzed for the presence of unacceptable actions by the crew during operation. For instance:
- whether the maximum pitch or roll allowed by the manufacturer was exceeded;
- whether overload on take-off / landing was not exceeded;
- whether the operating time on take-off or afterburner modes was exceeded, etc.
This information also allows you to track the life of the aircraft and perform timely routine maintenance to reduce the frequency of failures of transport equipment and improve flight safety.
The emergency recorder has a very reliable protection. In accordance with the requirements of the modern TSO-C124 standard, it ensures data safety for half an hour of continuous burning, with shock overloads of 3400 g, staying at a depth of 6 km for 30 days, as well as static overloads of 2 tons lasting up to 5 minutes. For comparison: previous-generation recorders with magnetic tapes withstood shock overloads of only 1000 g and a burning time of up to 15 minutes. To facilitate the search, emergency recorders are equipped with sonar pingers and radio beacons.
What is it made of?
We will discuss the color of the black box on the plane below, but for now let's talk about the materials from which it is made. Recorders are made from alloyed iron or titanium alloys. In any case, it is heat-resistant and high-strength material. Although for the most part, the safety of registrars ensures their location in the aircraft body.
What color is the black box of the plane?
Usually the flight recorder is red or orange. Now you know what color the black box of the aircraft is, and it is clear that its name is in no way connected with the real color. Bright coloring was made to facilitate the search.
What parameters are logged?
Recorders are constantly improving. The first black boxes read only 5 parameters: speed, time, vertical acceleration, altitude and course. They were fixed with a stylus on a disposable metal foil. The last phase of the evolution of registrars dates back to the 90s when solid-state carriers were put into operation. Modern recorders are capable of recording up to 256 parameters. Here are some of them:
- Fuel remaining.
- Instant fuel consumption.
- Pitch speed.
- Air pressure.
- Roll angle.
- Mains voltage.
- The position of the motor control handle.
- Lateral overload.
- Deviation of aileron-introceptors.
- Flap Rejection.
- Helm deviation.
- Deviation of the stabilizer.
- Deviation of ailerons.
- Pitch, heading and roll control yoke stroke.
- The course of the helm.
- Engine revs.
- Engine speed
- Vertical and lateral overloads.
- True height.
- Barometric height.
- Flight speed, etc.
Where is?
The black box of the aircraft is located in the tail of the aircraft. On board are several recorders. Reserve models are needed in case of severe damage or the inability to detect the main ones.
Previously, speech and parametric recorders were separated: the first was installed in the cockpit, and the second in the tail of the aircraft. However, due to the fact that the cabin was destroyed in the crash more than the tail, both recorders were mounted in the tail of the aircraft.
Aircraft Black Box: Decryption
This is the same myth as the color of the recorder in his name. Remember: decryption of the black boxes of crashed aircraft is simply impossible. You will ask why? Yes, because the recorded data is not encrypted, and the word “decryption” is used in the same context as that of journalists who process interview records. They write a text while listening to a voice recorder. The commission of experts does the same, recording data in a form convenient for perception and analysis. There is no encryption: data protection from strangers is not provided, the information is available for reading at any airport. There is also no data protection from modification, because the recorder is designed to identify the causes of air crashes and reduce their number in the future. In the end, to hush up or distort the true causes of accidents for political or some other reason, you can make a statement about serious damage to the registrars and the inability to read the information.
True, even with severe damage (approximately 30% of accidents), the black box of a crashed aircraft can still be reconstructed. Fragments of the tape are glued together and processed with a special mixture, and the surviving chips are soldered and connected to the reader. These are quite complex procedures carried out in special laboratories and time-consuming.
