Dr David Warren. Image credit: The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO)
The man behind one of Australia’s greatest inventions, the Black Box flight data recorder, has passed away at the age of 85.
Dr David Warren served as the principal research scientist at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation's Aeronautical Research Laboratories (ARL) in Melbourne, from 1952 – 1983.
He is credited with designing and constructing the world’s first Black Box in 1956, with variations of his invention later being installed in passenger aircraft around the world.
Dr Warren has long been considered one of the country’s greatest scientific minds, so much so that Qantas unveiled an Airbus A380 named after him in November 2008.
He also served as chairman of the Combustion Institute (Australian & New Zealand Section) for over two decades.
Dr Warren passed away on 19 July at the age of 85 and is survived by his wife Ruth, four children and seven grandchildren.