In The News

Inventor of the aircraft Black Box dies

Inventor of the aircraft Black Box dies

David Warren, who is credited with inventing the ‘Black Box’ system used on commercial airlines, has died in Australia. He was 85.

Mr. Warren never made any money from his invention which is used to record data such as cockpit communications and instrument readings. 

The device can be used to recover vital information in the event of an air disaster.

Mr. Warren was working as a government aeronautical researcher in Australia when he first began exploring his idea for the data recorder in the 1950s. He had been assigned to work with a committee which was looking into a series of air crashes.

However, he faced major opposition to his idea with many people dismissing it out-of-hand.  

Undeterred, he produced a prototype which caught the eye of a visiting official from the U.K.  Sir Robert Hardingham liked the idea and invited the young designer to show it Britain where it was soon being fitted in aircraft.

Mr. Warren always said he had no regrets about not making any money from his invention. 

He is survived by his wife Ruth and his four children.

 

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