PROFESSOR William Penny CBE, who was instrumental in developing the black box flight recorder which improved the safety of air travel, has died at the age of 95.

Professor Penny was one of the co-founders of the aerospace and industrial technology firm Penny & Giles, and it was his work with James Giles in the 1950s which revolutionised air crash investigations.

Bournemouth Echo: Professor PennyProfessor Penny

The black box recorder was developed by Professor Penny as an evolution from the earlier 'Automatic Observers', which had been used to record flight data since the late 1920s.

Professor Penny, who spent many years of his life at Beachern Wood, near Brockenhurst, with his wife Beryl, was responsible for the development of flight data recorders and aircraft instrumentation to improve the safety of flight, as well as many other innovative products for industrial and aerospace applications.

He developed transducers which could measure air speed and altitude acceleration, and control surface positions.

The information gathered was then recorded by the black box together with voices from the cockpit.

These improvements increased the amount of data available to air accident investigators following a crash, leading to advancements in air safety.

This innovation was just one of many for which Penny & Giles became famous.

Professor Penny, who was born in Wiltshire, qualified as an engineer and spent his early years working at a government establishment at Boscombe Down on the transition to transonic flight and the development of gas turbines.

This work involved measurement of air turbulence, icing and numerous data recording parameters for flight control and recording.

Then, after a period working in industry on instrumentation for both industrial and aerospace applications, he formed a partnership with Jim Giles and started the Penny & Giles Company in 1956, which quickly expanded into a diverse group of companies in the Christchurch area and in South Wales.

By 1992 the company employed 1200 people directly, mostly in the Christchurch area but with many working in South Wales.

The Curtiss-Wright/Penny and Giles company is currently operating in a new facility at Hurn Airport as well as its facility in South Wales.

According to former managing director Ray New, who worked for the company for 42 years, Professor Penny had a "hands-on" approach to the engineering and development of new products.

He said: "He was driven throughout his life by a passion to improve air safety.

"At heart, he was always an engineer, and in his 80s he was still developing ideas. He was a brilliant man, a pioneer, and respected by all who knew him."

Apart from running the company, Professor Penny also lectured at City, University of London.

In 2002, Penny & Giles was bought by US-based Curtiss Wright, but Professor Penny continued to work there as a consultant.

A spokesperson for the company said: "Professor Penny was a huge figure in the Penny & Giles and Curtiss-Wright story in the UK over many years, and his sad death marks the end of an era.

"Many of the UK team have fond memories of working with Bill Penny, and his legacy can be found in the success of our businesses today."

According to Professor Penny’s family, his "guidance and mentoring" over the years have helped develop the careers of many engineers.

"Beyond Penny & Giles there have been many successful companies set up in the local area by former employees who were inspired and encouraged by Professor Penny, and through them all his legacy will live on."

In 1989, Professor Penny was appointed CBE for services to industry, and in 2010 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Bournemouth University.

A keen yachtsman, golfer and musician, he had a farm in Scotland where he enjoyed breeding cattle. He moved there a few years ago following the death of both his wife and daughter.

In 2010 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Bournemouth University.

He passed away on June 14 2021.