RAF ban on 'exploding' Tunnock's teacakes lifted after 60 years
It was the summer of 1965 when a captain and student pilot forgot they had placed unwrapped teacakes above their instrument panels.When 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 conditions.First 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 up.As air pressure in the chamber decreased, the air inside the teacakes expanded until the chocolate cracked and the mallow filling puffed out.However, although the mallow escaped from their chocolate casing, they did not 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 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 said.Tunnock's, based in Uddingston, near Glasgow, has been contacted for comment.
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