AIRCRAFT INCLUDING DATA DESTRUCTION MEANS

1 . An aircraft comprising:

means for causing data of a predetermined type to be stored on board solely in one or more memories; and

automatic means for acting, when a predetermined event occurs, to destroy the data stored in this way.

2 . An aircraft according to claim 1 , including at least one of the following members suitable for signaling the occurrence of the predetermined event:

a moisture sensor;

a temperature sensor;

an accelerometer;

an inertial relay or sensor;

a manual control member;

a geographical positioning member;

an altimeter;

an on-board computer;

a discrete input;

a radio receiver;

a sensor for sensing removal of the memory or one of the memories; and

a sensor for sensing ejection of a pilot or a command for such ejection.

3 . An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the memory or one of the memories is a volatile memory.

4 . An aircraft according to claim 3 including means for maintaining the memory or one of the memories under power whenever the or each main electricity power supply network of the aircraft is off.

5 . An aircraft according to claim 3 , wherein destruction comprises switching the memory off.

6 . An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the memory or one of the memories is a flash memory.

7 . An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the means are suitable for causing the data to be destroyed in at least one of the following modes:

erasing the data;

igniting a pyrotechnic charge;

chemical attack; and

subjecting the memory to an overvoltage.

8 . An aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the memory is a main memory and the aircraft includes an auxiliary memory and means for causing data to be copied from the main memory to the auxiliary memory in the presence of a second predetermined event.

9 . A method of protecting data on board an aircraft, the method comprising:

storing data of a predetermined type on board solely in one or more volatile memories;

maintaining the or each memory under power whenever the or each main electricity power supply network of the airplane is off; and

when a predetermined event occurs, automatically commanding destruction of the data as stored in this way.

10 . A computer program, including code instructions suitable for commanding the implementation of steps of a method according to claim 9 when executed on a computer.