B-52 Bomber Crew Rations

[biscuits brown]

There is vast amount of info on the web, but you got to ask the right "question" to google It just takes digging.
Theres masses of original test reports, specs, etc around.
There is a lot of misinformation on the web about rations.

[Treesuit]

BB,

Great info on the bomber meals. Two questions arise:

1) how is there "misinformation" about rations out on the web? I thought most info was either re-directed here, or on wikipedia?
2) I thought all jet aircraft were pressurized. But if you were under a certain altitude and decreasing your speed then I guess you wouldn't need the oxygen masks.

[biscuits brown]

Ts only MRE enquires would get here, and maybe some link to a thread if the specific subject is mentioned. Im talking about more obscure, vintage rations. Its not deliberate of course, its just inaccuacies creep in.

I still dont figure the oxygen mask thing. UK Bomber Command V bombers were pressurised internally at 8k feet at an actual altitude of 40k. If battle damage occurred a system (sounds cool) would try to seal the area (?) while other systems would try to limit the decompressurisation to 25k. Im not sure if I got this right So the 1958 oxygen mask reference I dont figure.

Ive been looking for UK equivalents to these In flight units. So far nothing. Lots of references to improvised packed meals with commercially bought items, and I suppose the UK survival rations. (which did exist)
I can only conclude we blew all the money developing the planes and the nukes to go with them, so the aircrew had to get store bought stuff.

[Treesuit]

BB,

I take it then that there are MOD documents that are similar to the USAF technical manuals about in flight feeding? I mean, much like the PDF snippets you've posted here. I'm assuming the MOD did something similar and published a tech manual, otherwise they wouldn't have made a fuss over something that small.

[biscuits brown]

Ts

Not at all. Ive taken all references so far from ex RAF guys posting on old command/sqdn sites, and the like. I have not seen anything remotely comparing with the superb (and openly available) US material.
I am still looking, but Im seriously beginning to doubt if its here at all. There is no official material about UK ration development history, ever, period. Apart from very recent lightweight PR fluff. Certainly that appears to be the case with anything ration- orientated pre - very recent.
I might have to contact the IWM and a couple of other bodies and get down to their archives. The stuff we are interested in is not on the web. I will keep looking, because I love this stuff. I just suspect that a simpler kind of canned component in flight type ration heated via those hot cup things I showed was the best that Bomber Command (until renamed strike command in the 60s) were ever issued with. No way did the V guys have frozen meals or other SAC type goodies.
In fact there is no evidence at all so far that V bomber crews had any means of heating rations on board.
I think it was the Shackleton and nimrod crews who got hot meals, due to their extreme mission durations. Just a hunch at the mo.
Will keep you posted.

[mreheater72]

Hi guys,

in this regard I want to show my EMPTY case of MEAL, FLIGHT FEEDING, IND. DoP 1987. As you can see it is an usual MRE-case, but it is declared to a MEAL, FLIGHT FEEDING, IND.-case by adding adhesive labels and the printing FF-0-2.













So long mreheater72

[Treesuit]

BB,

You mentioned the Nimrod bomber crews got hot meals for their missions. That's at least a start, and quite different. What was that like and how did they go about it? I'm guessing it was hot meals served in a dining facility when they could get a break? You'll have to forgive me BB, but my knowledge in UK MoD stuff is limited.

[biscuits brown]

As I say Ts, its just a hunch. So far no info on any hot food or stuff for heating food, that ive been able to find.

But these Long range martime patrols, flights maybe 18 hrs + by Nimrods and the AEW missions over the North Sea and Atlantic (the RAF used shakletons up to 1982 ) demanded some form of hot food?

Shackleton AEW aircraft 1980

Nimrod MR4 Marine recon and ASW aircrsft. Current.

20100115_a966e6b7f8451e745a6eQ0bje0HhXUKR.jpg (32.68 KiB) Viewed 7477 times

[Treesuit]

BB,

Fascinating. The Shackleton looks more like a modified B-24 for ASW duty. I can't imagine anybody having a heater/stove for hot food on that! But now that I see the NIMROD aircraft it's feasible to think that somebody might have a hot plate in a small galley to get something warm for a long flight. The thought of US P-3A Orion aircraft come to mind doing the same duty over the Pacific. Long flights do get a bit boring.

Oh and BB, Did anybody in the MoD ever think of the idea of self heating meals back then much like the US.

[biscuits brown]

Ts the Shackleton is a marine recce version and later AEW platform of the Lincoln bomber. First flew in 1944, the Lincoln was basically a bigger Lancaster with more powerful engines, slightly bigger bombload, better ceiling, bigger wingspan and .5 turrets. The earlier Lancaster could carry a ten ton bombload, a ton or two more than a B29. In fact the Lincoln was considered with the B29 to be the A bomb carrying type in Aug 1945.
This is a lovely pic.

ShackletonAEW2 82 Sqdn RAF 1982

The Nimrod is a military version of the Comet, the worlds first passenger jet airliner, first used commercially in 1951.

BOAC De Havilland Comet, 1952

Notice its got square windows. This directly led to catastrophic metal fatigue causing 2 major disasters in 1951 and 1952.
They figured square windows were deadly. By the time round windows were fitted and the problem recognised scientifically, the UK had lost its lead in Jet civil aviation, and the superb Boeing 707 was in the air.