Editing Flight recorder (section)

== Specifications ==
[[File:GravadoVoz.jpg|thumb|Cockpit voice recorder memory module of PR-GTD, a [[Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907|Gol Transportes Aéreos Boeing 737-8EH SFP]], found in the [[Amazon Rainforest|Amazon]] in [[Mato Grosso]], [[Brazil]].]]
[[File:Caixa-Preta GOL.jpg|thumb|After the crash of [[Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907]], [[Brazilian Air Force]] personnel show the recovered flight data recorder]]

The design of today's FDR is governed by the internationally recognized standards and recommended practices relating to flight recorders which are contained in [[ICAO]] Annex 6 which makes reference to industry [[crashworthiness]] and [[fire protection]] specifications such as those to be found in the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment<ref name="Luftfahrt"/> documents EUROCAE ED55, ED56 Fiken A and ED112 (Minimum Operational Performance Specification for Crash Protected Airborne Recorder Systems). In the United States, the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA) regulates all aspects of US aviation, and cites [[design]] [[requirement]]s in their Technical Standard Order,<ref name="TSO-C124a"/> based on the EUROCAE documents (as do the aviation authorities of many other countries).

Currently, EUROCAE specifies that a recorder must be able to withstand an acceleration of 3400 ''[[g-force|g]]'' (33&nbsp;km/s<sup>2</sup>) for 6.5 [[millisecond]]s. This is roughly equivalent to an [[Impact (mechanics)|impact]] [[velocity]] of {{convert|270|kn|mph km/h}} and a [[deceleration]] or crushing distance of {{convert|45|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2014/black-box-flight-recorders/|title=Black box flight recorders|publisher=ATSB|date=April 1, 2014|access-date=October 7, 2016|archive-date=October 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009170735/https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2014/black-box-flight-recorders/|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, there are [[requirement]]s for penetration resistance, [[Statics|static]] crush, high and low temperature [[fire]]s, deep sea [[pressure]], [[sea water]] immersion, and [[fluid]] immersion.

EUROCAE ED-112 (Minimum Operational Performance Specification for Crash Protected Airborne Recorder Systems) defines the minimum specification to be met for all aircraft requiring flight recorders for recording of flight data, cockpit audio, images and CNS / ATM digital messages and used for investigations of accidents or incidents.<ref name="VZLU"/> When issued in March 2003, ED-112 superseded previous ED-55 and ED-56A that were separate specifications for FDR and CVR. [[FAA]] [[Technical Standard Order|TSOs]] for FDR and CVR reference ED-112 for characteristics common to both types.

In order to facilitate recovery of the recorder from an aircraft accident site, they are required to be coloured bright yellow or orange with reflective surfaces. All are lettered "Flight recorder do not open" on one side in English and "''Enregistreur de vol ne pas ouvrir''"  in French on the other side. To assist recovery from submerged sites they must be equipped with an underwater locator beacon which is automatically activated in the event of an accident.

[[File:Bobbie R Allen - Potential Role of Flight Recorders - NTSB 1966.pdf|thumb|]]