2007-09-12 03:07:36 · 12 answers · asked by la$t drinx$ 3 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
Actually, they are called "black box" only because this is the term used to identify a device where the inner working principle is not of paramount importance. It does not matter how flight data recorder operate: it could be magnetic tape, a hard disk, solid state chips; all that matter is that it records data. In the early days, there even were recorders that scored a groove on a ductile metallic strip; I have no idea how many cycles it could go through before the ribbon was worn.
Anyway, as others have noted, they are painted bright orange so as to make them easier to spot.
2007-09-12 07:32:58 · answer #1 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Before they actually had to look for one, all of the self-contained avioncs boxes were black. They still are, with the exception of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR). On newer aircraft it is a digital flight data recorder (DFDR) or digital flight data acquisition unit(DFDAU).
For the obvious reason, they are painted bright orange to:
A) Aid visibility when a search is conducted
B) Visually provide a clue to non-technical types so that they can tell it from the other black boxes that are littered around a crash site
2007-09-12 06:45:13 · answer #2 · answered by RGTIII 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the 1st flight recorders have been put in in US commercial airliners in 1957. The airplane made well-liked by using DB Cooper grew to become right into a Boing 737, and all of that type have been built with flight recorders. The flight recorder would not have recorded something relating to Cooper's activities, in spite of the fact that if it grew to become into there.
2016-12-26 07:30:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The orange that they are painted is easier to see in case of a crash. Black would be very difficult to differentiate from all of the other electronic boxes that are included in the airplane. It would take many hours of searching each box to find the correct one if they were all the same color.
2007-09-12 05:48:09 · answer #4 · answered by IFlyGuy 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They make the black boxes a bright orange color so after the crash they are easier to spot and recover. If they were black and there was a fire involved in the crash it would be extremely hard to find them.
2007-09-12 03:47:05 · answer #5 · answered by ? 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Red outside so it can easily be spotted. Black because the box is completely sealed to water proof it, and if you were inside it, you'd be in pitch black darkness! Get it? Silly question, silly answer.
2007-09-12 13:53:01 · answer #6 · answered by jmcdelprado35 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are International Orange... for visibility.
They derive the name "black box", because when aircraft started getting "avionics" of any sort, they were black boxes.
2007-09-12 03:21:37 · answer #7 · answered by mariner31 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Other than the visibility factor mentioned above, usually when they are removed from a crash site they are black with soot if a fire was generated.
2007-09-12 03:41:32 · answer #8 · answered by Charles 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Easy to spot when people need to look for it.
And Red indicate that it's important.
2007-09-12 03:14:57 · answer #9 · answered by PL 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The manufacture ran out of black paint & had lots of red paint on hand
2007-09-12 05:38:58 · answer #10 · answered by shufly 4 · 0⤊ 4⤋