When Royal Air Force pilots discovered chocolate-coated marshmallow
teacakes expanded at high altitudes, they became “the subject of some
rather unscientific in-flight experiments” in the 1950s.
⁠
Air crews removed their silver foil packaging and perched them around
the cabin for observation: The marshmallows swelled as pressure changed.
Eventually, they became too big to eat in one bite. ⁠
⁠
Many noted that, despite the extreme physical effects, the expansion
didn’t compromise the taste. ⁠
⁠
But the expanding teacakes’ fame was short-lived. After a period of
marshmallow fever aboard the V-Bombers departing from Gaydon air base,
an explosion put a stop to the fun. ⁠
⁠
During 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 depressurizing switch during a training
mission, the treats erupted. ⁠
⁠
Shards of chocolate and marshmallow hit the windshield, flight controls,
and the mens’ uniforms. Shortly thereafter, the RAF put marshmallows on
their no-fly list.
--
Tciao for Now!

John.

On Thu, 14 Dec 2023 12:12:07 +0000, John Williamson
<johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> wrote:

>When Royal Air Force pilots discovered chocolate-coated marshmallow
>teacakes expanded at high altitudes, they became “the subject of some
>rather unscientific in-flight experiments” in the 1950s.
>?
>Air crews removed their silver foil packaging and perched them around
>the cabin for observation: The marshmallows swelled as pressure changed.
>Eventually, they became too big to eat in one bite. ?
>?
>Many noted that, despite the extreme physical effects, the expansion
>didn’t compromise the taste. ?
>?
>But the expanding teacakes’ fame was short-lived. After a period of
>marshmallow fever aboard the V-Bombers departing from Gaydon air base,
>an explosion put a stop to the fun. ?
>?
>During 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 depressurizing switch during a training
>mission, the treats erupted. ?
>?
>Shards of chocolate and marshmallow hit the windshield, flight controls,
>and the mens’ uniforms. Shortly thereafter, the RAF put marshmallows on
>their no-fly list.

It's not necessarily reversible:

https://youtu.be/8PV9nnvY7WE

(Marshmallows in a vacuum expand, but get smaller than originally on
repressurization.)

Thomas Prufer

On 14 Dec 2023 at 14:26:18 GMT, "Thomas Prufer"
<prufer.public@mnet-online.de.invalid> wrote:

> On Thu, 14 Dec 2023 12:12:07 +0000, John Williamson
> <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> wrote:
>
>> When Royal Air Force pilots discovered chocolate-coated marshmallow
>> teacakes expanded at high altitudes, they became “the subject of some
>> rather unscientific in-flight experiments” in the 1950s.
>> ?
>> Air crews removed their silver foil packaging and perched them around
>> the cabin for observation: The marshmallows swelled as pressure changed.
>> Eventually, they became too big to eat in one bite. ?
>> ?
>> Many noted that, despite the extreme physical effects, the expansion
>> didn’t compromise the taste. ?
>> ?
>> But the expanding teacakes’ fame was short-lived. After a period of
>> marshmallow fever aboard the V-Bombers departing from Gaydon air base,
>> an explosion put a stop to the fun. ?
>> ?
>> During 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 depressurizing switch during a training
>> mission, the treats erupted. ?
>> ?
>> Shards of chocolate and marshmallow hit the windshield, flight controls,
>> and the mens’ uniforms. Shortly thereafter, the RAF put marshmallows on
>> their no-fly list.
>
>
> It's not necessarily reversible:
>
> https://youtu.be/8PV9nnvY7WE
>
> (Marshmallows in a vacuum expand, but get smaller than originally on
> repressurization.)
>
>
> Thomas Prufer

That's a very important discovery made by our scientfic friends, Thomas!
Thanks for sharing! :-D
John