The Solid State Combined Voice and Flight Data Recorder (SSCVFDR) was the first combined solid state recorder to be approved by the UK CAA/FAA. Selected by Agusta, Bell Helicopter Textron Canada, Eurocopter, and Sikorsky the SSCVFDR its suitability for the rotary wing market.
Superceding Penny + Giles´ steel and magnetic tape based recorders, the SSCVFDR records selected aircraft parameters and audio into Solid State Non-volatile Memory. The recording is protected to survive stipulated crash conditions to enable the subsequent retrieval and decoding by suitable Portable Replay Equipment (PRE) following an incident.
Facilities exist within the SSCVFDR for aircraft in-situ data retrieval. The recorder retains typically the most recent twenty five hours of aircraft data and the most recent 30 minutes of at least three, typically four, audio sources.
The SSCVFDR is designed to operate in conjunction with a Flight Data Acquisition Unit (FDAU) and, for aircraft in-situ retrieval, suitable Replay Equipment such as PGS.
The SSCVFDR is a crash protected airborne recorder that is fitted to meet mandatory requirements. The recorder meets or exceeds the requirements of EUROCAE ED-55, ED-56A and satisfies CAA specifications 10, 10A, 11 and 18. The requirements of TSO-C123 and TSO-C124 are satisfied where regulations allow the fitting of a combined voice and data recorder. The equipment is compatible with the ARINC characteristic 757.
The SSCVFDR consists of a solid state memory module and an electronic interface. The solid state memory module is protected for crash survivability. The electronic interface is not crash protected and is not required to survive conditions exceeding the specified operating and storage environment.
Facilities exist within the equipment to monitor all aspects of operation for diagnostic purposes. The SSCVFDR is capable of replaying stored data and audio information digitally at high speed through the Manufacturers Test Interface (MTI).
An underwater location beacon may be fitted to the crash protected case as an aid to location in the event of an accident over water.
No external controls are provided on the SSCVFDR as operation is automatic upon the application of power.