Compact, lightweight flight data recorders improve cost savings
FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW 2018 – July 16, 2018 – Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions division today announced at the Farnborough International Airshow (Kallman Worldwide USA Partnership Pavilion Hall 2 Booth 2086) that its Fortress™ family of flight data recorders has successfully completed all qualification testing and has begun shipping to customers. The Fortress family is the newest range of flight data recorders on the market. These highly functional units deliver longer recording time, meeting forthcoming CVR 25hr mandates, and are believed to be the industry’s first to meet the demanding requirements of EUROCAE ED-112A. The compact and lightweight Fortress product line is designed to meet all current and upcoming regulations.
The Fortress range combines a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), Flight Data Recorder (FDR), DataLink Recorder (DLR), and Airborne Image Recorder (AIR) in a single unit and can be rapidly modified to meet customization requirements for particular aircraft needs. The recorder can support expansion, making it easier and more cost-effective to add new functionality within the unit, such as MIL-STD-1553 data links and health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS), all while reducing aircraft LRU count and overall system weight.
“We are excited to announce that our Fortress family of recorders, the most advanced lightweight and functional Flight Recorder available today, has completed all qualification testing and we have begun shipping units to our customers,” said Lynn Bamford, Senior Vice President, and General Manager, Defense Solutions division. “We are the first supplier to meet flight recorder extended operational requirements and increased crash survivability test requirements included in ED-112A, furthering our commitment to helping aircraft meet the latest regulations while using the best technology to add more functionality in less space and cost for new and older aircraft”.
About Fortress Recorders:
At under 8.5 lbs. including a 90 day ULB, the new Fortress recorders weigh less than early generation solid-state recorder- alternatives, which helps to significantly reduce fuel cost savings (for example, it’s estimated that each additional kg on a 150-seat airliner typically adds a $120 burden in fuel usage for every 4,500 flight hours). This breakthrough in weight reduction results from Curtiss-Wright’s decades of expertise in optimizing the crash recorder electronics, materials, and manufacturing process. The recorder systems also support dual-redundant CVR/FDR installation to mitigate the risk of mandatory grounding in case of recorder failure.
Curtiss-Wright has a long heritage in designing and manufacturing flight data recorders. Developed by the originator of the first combined cockpit voice/flight data recorder, these innovative recorders meet all current EUROCAE ED-112A, FAA TSO, and EASA ETSO requirements. The Fortress family of recorders is ideal for a wide range of aircraft platforms, including helicopters, airliners, executive and military jets. Housed in a compact rugged unit, the new recorders are hard-mountable for fast, easy installation.
About Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a global innovative company that delivers highly engineered, critical function products and services to the commercial, industrial, defense and energy markets. Building on the heritage of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, Curtiss-Wright has a long tradition of providing reliable solutions through trusted customer relationships. The company employs approximately 8,600 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.curtisswright.com.
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