Latest news with #OliverBird
The Independent
04-04-2025
- General
- The Independent
RAF lifts ‘60-year ban' on popular treat after tests find it won't explode in cockpit
The Royal Air Force has lifted a '60-year ban' on a popular treat after tests found it won't explode in cockpit. Tunnock's tea cakes have been cleared to be taken on board RAF planes after a 60-year-old myth they explode was debunked. The snack was said to be banned from RAF flights in 1965 after one exploded over the cockpit when a captain pulled an emergency depressurising switch on a training sortie. But an RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine test has now found the Scottish marshmallow and biscuit base snack does not explode, the BBC reports. The snack was put inside an altitude chamber and lifted to 8,000ft, before being rapidly decompressed to 25,000ft to see if they would explode. Although the marshmallow escaped the tea cake's milk chocolate casing, it did 'not appear to explode and cause a risk to in-flight safety", according to the broadcaster. Dr Oliver Bird, an instructor at the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine, told the BBC: 'The best advice is that the snacks are kept frozen and in their foil wrappings until pilots are ready to consume them.' Tunnock's is a family company led by 92-year-old Sir Boyd Tunnock, whose grandfather Thomas Tunnock founded the business in 1890 as a bakery in Uddingston, Lanarkshire. The iconic tea cake was developed in 1956. The company now employs more than 600 people and exports products to over 30 countries.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Exploding' Tunnock's teacakes cleared by tests to fly again
The story goes that 60 years ago, Tunnock's teacakes were banned from RAF flights after a cockpit marshmallow explosion. The chocolate-covered treats were apparently all the rage, eaten by nuclear bomber crewmen on training sorties at the height of the Cold War. But in the summer of 1965, a captain and student pilot forgot they had placed unwrapped teacakes above their instrument panels. When the captain pulled an emergency depressurising switch the iconic Scottish treat erupted - leaving a sticky mess over the airmen, the instruments and cockpit canopy. Now the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine has now given them the all-clear to fly again, after tests in an altitude chamber found the teacakes did not explode. The experiments were covered by the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) at the centre based at RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire. First the teacakes were put into an altitude chamber - normally used in the training of new fast jet pilots - and were lifted to 8,000ft, climbing at 4,000ft per minute, They were then rapidly decompressed to 25,000ft in three seconds to see if they would blow up. As air pressure in the chamber decreased, the air inside the teacakes expanded until the chocolate cracked and the mallow filling puffed out. BFBS reporter Hannah King, who witnessed the tests, said while the mallow escaped from the chocolate casing, they "did not appear to explode and cause a risk to in-flight safety". It was also discovered that when they were frozen before being placed in the chamber, their hardened shells were more resilient to cracking at altitude. Pilots have been offered some advice by Dr Oliver Bird, an instructor at the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine, who carried out the tests. "The best advice is that the snacks are kept frozen and in their foil wrappings until pilots are ready to consume them," he said. Fergus Loudon, sales director at Tunnock's, which is based in Uddingston, near Glasgow, said: "If we really are talking about the people who fly our supersonic jet fighter bombers, then I'm inclined to think that Tunnock's Tea Cakes wouldn't be the highest thing on their list of worries, but I'm glad to hear that they can now enjoy them, like everybody else, with official approval." An RAF spokesman said he was not aware of any "banned confectionary list", adding that the tests were not carried out in an official capacity. Tunnock's reaches sweet sales milestone 'Offensive' Tunnock's Tea Cake ad banned Scottish teacake makes 'space voyage'
BBC News
04-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
RAF ban on 'exploding' Tunnock's teacakes lifted after 60 years
Sixty years ago, Tunnock's teacakes were banned from RAF flights after they exploded in a left a sticky mess over the airmen, their instruments and the cockpit's chocolate-covered marshmallow treats had apparently been all the rage prior to this - being eaten by crewmen as they flew nuclear bombers on long training sorties at the height of the Cold the ban has now been lifted after the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine carried out tests in an altitude chamber and the teacakes did not explode. It was the summer of 1965 when a captain and student pilot forgot they had placed unwrapped teacakes above their instrument the captain pulled an emergency depressurising switch in a training mission the iconic Scottish treat erupted. The new tests were carried out at the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine under strict they were put into an altitude chamber - normally used in the training of new fast jet pilots - and were lifted to 8,000ft, climbing at 4,000ft per minute, They were then rapidly decompressed to 25,000ft in three seconds to see if they would blow air pressure in the chamber decreased, the air inside the teacakes expanded until the chocolate cracked and the mallow filling puffed although the mallow escaped from their chocolate casing, they did not explode and cause a risk to in-flight was also discovered that when they were frozen before being placed in the chamber, their hardened shells were more resilient to cracking at have been allowed to take them back in the cockpit but have been offered some advice by Dr Oliver Bird, an instructor at the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine, who carried out the tests."The best advice is that the snacks are kept frozen and in their foil wrappings until pilots are ready to consume them," he based in Uddingston, near Glasgow, has been contacted for comment.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tunnock's Tea Cakes pass RAF fit-to-fly test after being banned for 60 years
Tunnock's Tea Cakes have been deemed fit to fly by the RAF after they were banned from flights 60 years ago. The Scottish snack was a favourite of airmen to help stave off hunger while flying nuclear bombers on long training missions at the height of the Cold War. However, they were added to the RAF's no-fly list in the 1960s after some tea cakes were said to have exploded in a cockpit. The story goes that during a training mission in 1965, a captain and student pilot forgot they had placed unwrapped tea cakes above their instrument panels. When the captain pulled an emergency depressurising switch, the tea cakes blew up, causing pieces of chocolate and marshmallow to hit the windscreen, flight controls and the men's uniforms. The RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine in Henlow, Bedfordshire, has now conducted tests to determine if the tea cakes really do explode at altitude. The chocolate-covered biscuits with a marshmallow filling were lifted to 8,000ft, climbing at 4,000ft per minute, inside an altitude chamber normally used for training new jet pilots. The tea cakes were rapidly decompressed to 25,000ft in three seconds to see if they would explode. In the test, while the marshmallow in the tea cakes did escape from the chocolate casing, they did not appear to explode and cause a risk to in-flight safety. Furthermore, when the tea cakes were frozen before being placed in the chamber, their hardened shells were more resilient to cracking at altitude. The experiment was filmed for the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS), which provides news and entertainment for military personnel and their families. Dr Oliver Bird, a medical officer instructor at the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine, oversaw the tea cake tests and said he saw no reason why they couldn't be taken on flights. He recommended freezing the tea cakes as it will make their chocolate shells more robust and cause them to merely crack during decompression. He said: 'I think the best advice is that the snacks are kept frozen and in their foil wrappings until pilots are ready to consume them.' Hannah King, a producer and director who filmed the tests for BFBS News, said: 'This was a critical piece of scientific testing. I'm just glad the RAF medics at the Centre of Aerospace Medicine stepped up and answered the question that everyone's been wondering for so many years. 'It may be that the original tea cakes really did explode in a much more dangerous fashion. Perhaps the recipe has changed – who knows? 'But people ought to spread the word – it's safe to fly with tea cakes.' Tunnock's founded the business in 1890 as a bakery shop in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, and it now employs more than 600 people in the town and exports to more than 30 countries, including Saudi Arabia and Australia. The family firm is led by Sir Boyd Tunnock, 92, who created the Tunnock's Tea Cake in 1956 using marshmallow on a biscuit base coated in chocolate. The sweet treats have become so popular that giant dancing tea cakes featured in the opening ceremony of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and scientists launched a tea cake into space in 2017, attached to a weather balloon which reached an altitude of 121,414ft. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
03-04-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Tunnock's Tea Cakes pass RAF fit-to-fly test after being banned 60 years ago
The RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine in Henlow, Bedfordshire, has now conducted tests to determine if the tea cakes really do explode at altitude. The chocolate-covered biscuits with a marshmallow filling were lifted to 8,000ft, climbing at 4,000ft per minute, inside an altitude chamber normally used for training new jet pilots. The tea cakes were rapidly decompressed to 25,000ft in three seconds to see if they would explode. In the test, while the marshmallow in the tea cakes did escape from the chocolate casing, they did not appear to explode and cause a risk to in-flight safety. Furthermore, when the tea cakes were frozen before being placed in the chamber, their hardened shells were more resilient to cracking at altitude. The experiment was filmed for the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS), which provides news and entertainment for military personnel and their families. 'Best advice is that the snacks are kept frozen' Dr Oliver Bird, a medical officer instructor at the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine, oversaw the tea cake tests and said he saw no reason why they couldn't be taken on flights. He recommended freezing the tea cakes as it will make their chocolate shells more robust and cause them to merely crack during decompression. He said: 'I think the best advice is that the snacks are kept frozen and in their foil wrappings until pilots are ready to consume them.' Hannah King, a producer and director who filmed the tests for BFBS News, said: 'This was a critical piece of scientific testing. I'm just glad the RAF medics at the Centre of Aerospace Medicine stepped up and answered the question that everyone's been wondering for so many years. 'It may be that the original tea cakes really did explode in a much more dangerous fashion. Perhaps the recipe has changed – who knows. 'But people ought to spread the word – it's safe to fly with tea cakes.' Tunnock's founded the business in 1890 as a bakery shop in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, and it now employs more than 600 people in the town and exports to more than 30 countries including Saudi Arabia and Australia. The family firm is led by Sir Boyd Tunnock, 92, who created the Tunnock's Tea Cake in 1956 using marshmallow on a biscuit base coated in chocolate. The sweet treats have become so popular that giant dancing tea cakes featured in the opening ceremony of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and scientists launched a tea cake into space in 2017, attached to a weather balloon which reached an altitude of 121,414ft.
