4 Fascinating Facts about the Mysterious Black Box

After an accident or a fault in the airplane, authorities always look for the black box as it contains data that can help detect the cause of the crash. Know more about the black box by checking out this blog.

Here Are Some Things You Might Not Know About Black Boxes

Why Is It Called a Black Box?

Back in 1939, an aviation engineer named François Hussenot came up with the means of capturing an aircraft’s history in a box of photographic film. Onboard sensors flashed into the box through calibrated mirrors and traced a running tab of flight parameters, including airspeed, altitude, and the position of the cockpit controls.

The device worked like a camera, so its insides had to be in total darkness. Hence it’s called the black box. The term “black box” came from a British government official.

1. How Long Can a Black Box Survive Underwater?

A. One month
B. Two years
C. Five years
D. 7 years

Color of Black Box!

Black boxes aren’t black at all. It is painted a vibrant color called International Orange. A color which is associated with San Francisco’s Golden gate or the color of the highlighters we used to use. This color is chosen to highlight the box to be visible.

What Are Black Boxes Made Of?

The black box is made of two components – the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR). During the flight, the FDR tracks information about the plane – speed and direction. And the CVR records audio of the crew’s conversations, engine sounds, alarm noises and more for easy detection.

Where Are Black Boxes Located in a Plane?

The black box is located at the tail of the airplane. This prevents total damage of the two components in an accident. Because the tail area mostly won’t take that much hit.

Emma