Curtiss-Wright is partnering with Honeywell Aerospace to develop next-generation cockpit voice recorders (CVR) and flight data recorders (FDR) that will incorporate the use of real-time connectivity. The agreement announced this week also makes Curtiss-Wright the exclusive supplier to Honeywell of next-generation recorders for business aviation and air transport.

The hardware for the recorders will be developed by both companies, blending Curtiss-Wright’s Fortress technology with Honeywell’s software expertise in connectivity. Fortress, a 25-hour CVR/FDR, serves as the foundation of the Honeywell Connected Recorder-25 (HCR-25).

Owners and operators of business, commercial, and cargo aircraft will have access to real-time data from the recorders that can be streamed or saved in the cloud, which is expected to decrease aircraft downtime through improved predictive maintenance. “Working together, we will take flight data recorder connectivity and performance to new heights, with extended operation and greater survivability,” said Curtiss-Wright CEO David Adams.

The new recorders will surpass the requirements of the upcoming 2021 EASA minimum 25-hour cockpit voice recording mandate, the companies said. “With the new regulatory requirement, we saw an opportunity to evolve our recorder technology to not only meet the conditions of governing agencies but also make this product more powerful and better connected, providing aircraft operators with another source of data collection,” said Ben Driggs, Honeywell’s president of services and connectivity.