B-52 Bomber Crew Rations

[rationtin440]

Just curious if anyone has any info on current B-52 crew rations? My father-in-law was a B-52 tail gunner during Cuban missile crisis and also Vietnam and he showed me a couple flight menus that he'd saved, but I'm wondering if they have changed alot and if they still include canned Pemmican?

[rationtin440]

I just realized that I may have confused some folks with this question, I was referring to the in-flight meals and not the emergency rations. Sorry for any confusion.

[Ruleryak]

I'm assuming you don't have access to those old menus, but if you do we'd love to see a scan or a transposed copy of what was on it! I'd love to hear more about the program if you've got any more info. Was there a specific setup for B-52 crews because of the tendency to fly longer missions? Can you recall anything other than pemmican that would have been a regular item? Did the food get cooked on the ground and then loaded onto the plane or was it shelf stable and just eaten cold (or heated) mid flight? Was anything marked as being specifically for B-52 crews?

[biscuits brown]

This is taken from Operational rations current and future published by Natick labs in 1960.

Precooked Frozen Meals and the Food packet In - flight individual.

From the original description in the booklet, the precooked frozen meals were considered top of the line rations, "designed to keep aircrew in peak physiological condition " so I assume this was for SAC use, with other aircrew including heavy transport and tanker assigned utilising the in - flight food packet, which was very similar to the ground forces MCI, but with slightly less variety, the MCI having 12 menus, the food packet having 10. SAC crews utilised both the food packets and the state of the art precooked frozen meals.

Food packet In - flight individual :
Details and Spec:
Their SPEC no was MIL-F-3764
Weight 1.88 lbs
Calories 1,200
This was an MCI type meat component, such as turkey, ham and egg or ground meat and spaghetti, beef in spiced sauce, beefsteak, porkloaf, tuna, fried ham, chicken and noodles, or solid pack chicken, bread (crackers) cookies, a canned poundcake type, one of 6 varieties, and canned fruit,one of 4 types, and latterly canned juice as well as coffee or tea. There was also a comprehensive accessory pack There were 10 types of these menus.
The food packet, individual had a great longevity, lasting as long as the C/MCI series of meals.
Heavy transport and multi crewed craft had facilities for heating the meat/ entree cans and to heat water for the beverages. The number of meals was also 10 by the time of the 1970 and 1983 Natick product catalogue release. There were considerable component changes in this period.

It seems that as the 60s progressed, other aircraft type crews received the precooked frozen meals too
If you go back on the MREinfo archives, MREheater72 has posted an original 1955 in - flight food packet article with pics of container and components. It starts a very informative thread on that ration.

Precooked Frozen meal:
Details and specifications:
Their SPEC number was MIL-M-13966
There were 8 meals on the menu.
Weight approx 10 oz.
They all look very similar to contemporary ( 1950/60s) TV dinners, in a foil compartmentalised tray, with a crimpled foil covering.
Each meal provided approx 500 calories, and was to be supplimented with beverage, salad, bread and dessert.
I would assume that components from the in - flight meal ration, canned fruits, crackers, canned juices, cakes would be used in conjunction with these frozen meals.

Meals were to be heated at 160 F for 25 minutes. There was obviously a small electric oven on the small galley arrangements on the B 52s and earlier B 36. (I have an excellent pic from a great U.S publication on the B 36, and that shows a 2 burner electric hob, and oven. The pic shows a B 36 crewman preparing scrambled eggs. B ration componenents appear to be in use. B 36 catering must be a whole different and interesting story, with the RC versions having up to 22 crew!)

Precooked frozen meals menu list, circa 1960:

1. Turkey with gravy, dressing, lima beans and mashed Sweet potatoes.
2. Swiss steak, mushrooms, gravy, peas au gratin potatoes
3. Chipped beef, green beans, mashed potatoes
4. Chicken breast and thigh w gravy, corn, oven browned poatoes
5. Beef pot roast, browned mushrooms, green beans, mashed potatoes
6. Beef steak, mushrooms, green beans, mashed potatoes
7. Waffles, pork and beef sausages, applessauce.
8. Beef flaked steak, French fried potatoes, sweet roll.

By the June 1970 edition, the menus had gone to 7 items.

Scrambled egg with cheese, canadian bacon, peaches and honey roll had been added. (sounds great)
Removed was the Beef flaked steak and chipped beef meals. In addition there were minor changes to vegetables, gravies in the existing meals.

Im guessing now, but I would assume that contemporary USAF B52 and other heavy aircraft meals have progressively kept pace with technology, but retain a similar structure and feel, with microwave facilities and MRE -type components replacing the old In Flight food packet individual.
The last mention of a Food packet in - flight individual is in the 1983 Natick product catalogue, and it says it was to be phased out and "replaced with MRE components"
There is also no mention in the 1983 catalogue of the frozen meals. Are smaller content versions of T rats, and UGRs and UGRexpress now in use by the USAF?

I have pictures of the In -flight meals and frozen meals but I cant transfer them from PDF format unfortunately.

Any old time SAC or air force guys out there?

B 29 in flight meals being prepared during the Korean war, Japan.

current AMC in flight meal box

AMC box meal.JPG (25.35 KiB) Viewed 13838 times

Originally posted by MREheater 72

Originally posted by MRE heater72

Originally posted by MREheater72

originally posted by MREheater72

Please note the rare pictures of a 1955 In - flight food packet comes from the outstanding personal collection of MREheater72 from his original thread entitled FOOD PACKET IN - FLIGHT INDIVIDUAL IF-7 FROM 1955

[rationtin440]

Sorry Ruleryak but I have no access to those menus because they were lost when our house burned down in 2001, and my father-in-law passed away a couple years later. I do recall him saying that the in-flight meals were good, except of course when they were eaten and then the plane hit severe weather or other turbulence!

[rationtin440]

Thanks for replies everyone! As for myself, if I'd been on a B-52 crew during airborne alert, my nerves would be stretched pretty thin and I'm not sure how much appetite I'd have being worried about my family on the ground.

[mreheater72]

Please note the rare pictures of a 1955 In - flight food packet comes from the outstanding personal collection of MREheater72 from his original thread entitled FOOD PACKET IN - FLIGHT INDIVIDUAL IF-7 FROM 1955

Here are three more photos I "saved" from internet auctions the last years:






So long mreheater72

[biscuits brown]

Thank you Hagen!

Was the fruit juice and fruit cocktail cans still good?

I have found much more information on this, its a big area! If anyone is interested still, I will add to the thread.

Simon

[biscuits brown]

@rationtin440
This all reminded me of the scene from Dr Strangelove when the crew is going through the emergency escape and evasion kit contents.
I combined miniature Bible and Russian phrase book
1 45 cal automatic pistol
1 pair nylons.. etc

[mreheater72]

Thank you Hagen!

Was the fruit juice and fruit cocktail cans still good?

Sorry Simon, but the pics are out of an internet auction an not of a ration which belongs to my collection , so I can give no further information ! But you are right,the cans look still very good, no bulging or leaking!

The Inflight rations are really very scarce!

So long mreheater72