The first aircraft black box connected online to the ground

Honeywell Technology Solutions (HTS) in cooperation with the US corporation Curtiss-Wright has successfully developed the world's first aircraft black box that can be connected online to the ground, allowing continuous data collection during the flight.

An aircraft black box is a device that records everything that is happening in the cockpit during flight. In the event of an aircraft crash, the black box can help clarify what happened before that.

The first aircraft black box connected online to the ground Picture 1

The new black box, called HCR-25, is connected to the ground via satellite. The device is capable of recording flight data and voice. All this data will be immediately transmitted to the ground in real time to help analyze the insider going on in the cockpit.

The HCR-25 is currently certified for Boeing 737, 767 and 777 aircraft.

HTS's head of recording, Tomas Kral, said the company took four years to develop and obtain certification for these three Boeing planes.

HCR-25 will be modified according to the requirements of each specific customer. The company is currently developing a provisioning system that will allow airlines to choose where data will be transmitted and how it will be processed.

The HCR-25 will not only be installed on newly produced aircraft, but could replace the previous black box types of Honeywell Corporation, the parent company of HTS.

Marvin Fry

Update 24 July 2023