Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions division has introduced a 25-hour flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) designed for use on military fixed-wing and rotor aircrafts.
The latest additions to Curtiss-Wright’s industry-leading compact, lightweight Fortress® product family, the extremely rugged Fortress FDR-25 and Fortress CVR-25 are designed in accordance with RTCA/DO-178C and RTCA/DO-254 (DAL D) standards and meet or exceed all current FAA and EUROCAE ED-112A standard requirements.
These recorders provide aircraft system integrators with a cost-efficient solution that leverages advanced technologies developed for compact commercial and military platforms. For many applications, these recorders provide form and fit replacements that require no change to the airframe. They are ideal for use on new aircraft, or for upgrading older platforms requiring flight data recorders that satisfy commercial regulatory compliance.
“We are proud to lead the industry in bringing extended operation and greater survivability for flight recorders to the military aircraft market,” said Chris Wiltsey, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions division. “Our Fortress FDR and CVR products build on Curtiss-Wright’s long legacy in the flight recorder market, with new cost-effective, lightweight and compact modern recorders that meet the latest regulations.”
Fortress CVR-25 – Cockpit Voice Recorder
Fortress CVR-25 provides 4 channels of cockpit voice recording and 1 channel of CPDLC datalink recording, each for 25 hours minimum capacity supporting EUROCAE class 6 CVR requirements. The CVR’s audio recording performance exceeds ED-112A requirements, with each channel providing area microphone performance and quality of 150 Hz to 6 kHz bandwidth to deliver superior recording clarity. The advanced cockpit voice recorder provides an integrated web-based interface running across a gigabit physical Ethernet interface to enable rapid data access and recovery.
Fortress FDR-25 – Flight Data Recorder
Fortress FDR-25 supports parametric flight data recording for 25 hours minimum with data recording capacity up to 3,500 hours of data before the oldest data is overwritten, with a maximum data rate of 4,096 words per second . It also supports real-time data streaming for the swift and remote retrieval of flight data from the aircraft for storage or analysis.
Both flight recorders also include a 90-day underwater locator beacon that provides improved battery safety features, including a new non-restricted Class-9 lithium battery and containment of thermal runaway, which reduces the need for special handling, storage, and shipping.
