David Warren (inventor)
{{short description|Australian inventor of the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder}}
{{Other people||David Warren (disambiguation){{!}}David Warren}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = David Warren
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AO}}
| image = Dave Warren with BlackBox Prototype.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Warren with a prototype of a black box
| birth_name = David Ronald de Mey Warren
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1925|3|20}}
| birth_place = {{nowrap|Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory,}} Australia
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2010|7|19|1925|3|20}}
| death_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| residence =
| citizenship =
| nationality = Australian
| fields =
| workplaces = Defence Science and Technology Organisation
| alma_mater = University of Sydney
Imperial College London
University of Melbourne
| doctoral_advisor =
| academic_advisors =
| doctoral_students =
| notable_students =
| known_for = Flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder, "the black box"
| author_abbrev_bot =
| author_abbrev_zoo =
| influences =
| influenced =
| awards =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| family = Grace Warren (sister)
| footnotes =
}}
File:ABC Black Box.ogv news report interviewing Warren about his invention.]]
David Ronald de Mey Warren {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AO}} (20 March 1925{{spaced ndash}}19 July 2010) was an Australian scientist, best known for inventing and developing the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder (also known as FDR, CVR and "the black box").The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder functionalities were originally combined inside one box.
Early life
Warren was born to Rev Hubert and Ellie Warren and had three siblings.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-49012771|title=This little-known inventor has probably saved your life|publisher=BBC|first=Rebecca|last=Seales|date=18 July 2019|access-date=19 July 2019}} He was born on a remote mission station on Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory, the first white child born on the island. He was educated at Launceston Church Grammar School and Trinity Grammar School, New South Wales.{{cite news |title=Black box inventor David Warren dies |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/black-box-inventor-david-warren-dies-20100722-10loz.html |access-date=18 Sep 2020 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=22 July 2010 |language=English}}{{cite book |last1=Heath |first1=Phillip |title=Trinity the Daring of Your Name, A History of Trinity Grammar Schoo, Sydney |date=1990 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=Sydney |isbn=0044422245 |page=284}} His father died in the crash of the de Havilland D.H.86 Miss Hobart over the Bass Strait in 1934.{{cite web |last=Coopes |first=Amy |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gGqP_CbWB1Lumbch6B0xdt-zKUfA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100724031317/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gGqP_CbWB1Lumbch6B0xdt-zKUfA |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 July 2010 |title=Aircraft 'black box' inventor dies in Australia |work=AFP |date=20 July 2010 |access-date=2 August 2010}}
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours from the University of Sydney, a PhD in fuels and energy from Imperial College London, a Diploma of Imperial College, and a Diploma of Education from the University of Melbourne.[http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/page/3384/ Dave Warren – Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510194540/http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/page/3384/ |date=10 May 2012 }}, Defence Science and Technology Organisation, www.dsto.defence.gov.au, retrieved 30 November 2012.
Career
{{See also|Flight recorder#History}}
- 1944–46 – Teacher of mathematics and chemistry, Geelong Grammar School, Victoria.
- 1947–48 – Lecturer in chemistry, University of Sydney.
- 1948–51 – Scientific Officer, Woomera Rocket Range and Imperial College, London.
- 1952–83 – Principal Research Scientist, Aeronautical Research Laboratories, Melbourne, (now part of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation).
- 1981–82 – Scientific Adviser (Energy) to the Victorian State Parliament.
Warren worked at what are now the Defence Science and Technology Organisation's Aeronautical Research Laboratories in Melbourne from 1952 to 1983, rising to the level of principal research scientist.{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/7902124/Black-box-inventor-dies-age-85.html |title=Black box inventor dies, age 85 |publisher=Telegraph |date=21 July 2010 |access-date=2 August 2010}} While there, he came up with the idea for the cockpit voice recorder while investigating a crash of the world's first commercial jet airliner, the Comet, in 1953, after seeing a miniature voice recorder at a trade show. "If a businessman had been using one of these in the plane and we could find it in the wreckage and we played it back, we'd say, 'We know what caused this.'", Warren later recalled. "Any sounds that were relevant to what was going on would be recorded and you could take them from the wreckage."
While devices had been previously used to record certain flight parameters, they did not include voice recording, and were not reusable, and therefore were not practical for routine commercial flights. Warren's invention, which relied on magnetic recording media, allowed easy erasing and re-recording, which made it practical for routine line service. Warren's concept of cockpit voice recording added a new dimension to instrument data in flight recorders, and has proved extremely valuable for accident investigation. Some accidents where the CVR played a prominent role were solved not by the crew's recorded voices, but by other sounds incidentally recorded on the CVR, which provided a vital clue to the accident cause.{{cite web |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/news/speeches/staff/s980520.htm |title=Data Collection and Improved Technologies |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |date=20 May 1998 |quote=We were able to derive the speed of the engines based on a sound spectrum analysis of the engine sounds recorded on the CVR. That information, in combination with conversations between the crew enabled us to determine that the engines were not at high thrust as the pilots believed. }}
Committees, honours, awards and recognition
Warren was the chair of the Combustion Institute (Aust & NZ Section) for 25 years (1958–83),{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} the founding chair of the Morris Minor Car Club of Victoria (1977-2002),{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} as well as committee member of the Chemical Society,{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} the Institute of Fuel,{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} and the Australian Institute of Energy. {{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}
Warren received many awards and honours, including The Australian Institute of Energy Medal (1999),[http://www.science.org.au/awards/awards/aasmedal.html Australian medals for achievement in Science and Technology] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101128204856/http://science.org.au/awards/awards/aasmedal.html |date=28 November 2010 }}, Australian Academy of Science the Hartnett Medal of the Royal Society of the Arts (2000),Ken Fraser (2008) [http://www.kenblackbox.com/blackbox.htm Black Box], From Black Box to Black Hawk, www.kenblackbox.comJoe Rich, [http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hartnett-sir-laurence-john-12602 'Hartnett, Sir Laurence John (1898–1986)'], Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, accessed 1 December 2012. First published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 17, (MUP), 2007 the Centenary Medal (2001),[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1127386 Centenary Medal], Warren, David Ronald, It's an Honour, 2001. the Lawrence Hargrave Award of the Royal Aeronautical Society (2001), Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) (2002),[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1132194 Officer of the Order of Australia], Warren, David Ronald, It's an Honour, 2002. and the ICAO Edward Warner Award (2016).[http://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/David-Warren-named-2016-ICAO-Edward-Warner-Award-recipient.aspx ICAO news release] Black box inventor and air safety pioneer Dr David Warren named 2016 ICAO Edward Warner Award recipient[http://www.atsb.gov.au/newsroom/news-items/2016/dr-david-warren/ ATSB newsroom] "Black box" pioneer posthumously awarded aviation's highest honour
= Recognition =
In November 2008, Qantas named one of their Airbus A380s after Warren in honour of his services to aviation.{{cite news |url=http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/media-releases/nov-2008/3852/global/en |author=Qantas Media Releases |title=Qantas A380s to Honour Our Aviation Pioneers |date=16 November 2008 |access-date= 30 March 2015}}
Warren died on 19 July 2010, aged 85, in Melbourne.{{cite news |title=David Warren, inventor of 'black box' flight data recorder, dies at 85 |first=Matt |last=Schudel |newspaper=Washington Post |date=22 July 2010 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/21/AR2010072106185.html |access-date=26 July 2010}} He was buried in a casket bearing the label "Flight Recorder Inventor; Do Not Open" (a play off of the "FLIGHT RECORDER DO NOT OPEN" label on his recorders).{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-49012771|title=This little-known inventor has probably saved your life|last=Seales|first=Rebecca|date=2019-07-18|access-date=2019-07-21|language=en-GB}}{{cite news |title=History Recorder Remembered |first=Mick |last=Tsikas |newspaper=Reuters/Wall Street Journal |date=22 July 2010 |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/photojournal/2010/07/23/pictures-of-the-day-july-23/ |access-date=26 July 2010 }} ([https://www.wsj.com/media/072310pod05.jpg photo])
In June 2012, the ACT Government named a road, David Warren Road, in the suburb of Hume.{{cite news |url=http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/corbell/2012/canberra_champions_honoured_with_street_names |title=Canberra champions honoured with street names |author=Simon Corbell MLA Media Releases |date= 15 June 2012 |access-date=15 November 2014 }}
David Warren was inducted into the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame on 16 November 2013.{{cite news |url=http://www.aahof.com.au/#!dr-david-ronald-de-mey-warren/c8ee |title=Dr David Ronald de Mey Warren|access-date=5 March 2016 }}
On 25 March 2014, the Defence Science and Technology Organisation renamed their Canberra headquarters the "David Warren Building".{{cite news |url=http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/news/2014/05/27/black-box-inventor-honoured-with-building-name |title=Black box inventor honoured with building name |author=Defence Science and Technology Organisation Media Releases |date= 26 March 2014 |access-date=15 November 2014 }}
On 20 March 2021, Google showed a Doodle on its home page in some countries for David Warren's 96th birthday.{{Cite web|url=https://doodles.google/doodle/david-warrens-96th-birthday/|title=David Warren's 96th Birthday|website=Google|date=20 March 2021}}
Notes and references
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/page/3384/ Biography at Defence Science and Technology Organisation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510194540/http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/page/3384/ |date=10 May 2012 }}
- [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-49012771 This little-known inventor has probably saved your life. BBC News, 18 July 2019]
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Category:People educated at Launceston Church Grammar School
Category:Australian scientists
Category:20th-century Australian inventors
Category:University of Sydney alumni
Category:Alumni of Imperial College London
Category:Officers of the Order of Australia