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David Warren's contribution was in 1953. The first modern flight data recorder, called "Mata Hari", was created in 1942 by Finnish aviation engineer Veijo Hietala. During World War II both British and American air forces successfully experimented with aircraft voice recorders. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_recorder

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For one thing "Mata Hari" did not record voice. I believe Warren's was one of the first to record both voice and data.

It does appear Warren's novel contribution was the combined FDR/CVR.

Was it secret at the time?

Theres also a different intended use.

You always get issues like this with 'firsts', theres very little new under the sun, so the lines are always going to be arbitrary.

Professor James J. "Crash" Ryan's '"Flight Recorder" patent was filed in August 1953 a device he invented in response to a 1948 request from the Civil Aeronautics Board aimed at establishing operating procedures to reduce air mishaps.

I was responding to the Mata Hari. Ryan's recorder doesn't seem to record sound?

As I said, you always get this with 'firsts'.

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