[turretslug]

I was told yonks ago (and I suspect that it's a little fanciful like so much of the black humour in the aviation world, I'd like to think that there's an element of truth in it though) that the first FDR, used in test-piloted prototypes, was a soft fire-brick cradle-mounted beside the pilot with a set of pre-loaded punches above it designated "airframe", "engine", "controls" etc., the idea being that the pilot would have opportunity and presence of mind to thump the appropriate plunger in the event of unsurvivable incident.