Tip tanks were the bane of many a Canberra line crew (almost as bad as gun-pack bomb doors). Recall one time having to remove the tips from four B(I)8s. A bowser had been called up to de-fuel one after the other on the line and a couple of teams of blokes were removing the tanks as each was emptied. We used a framework cradle affair to handle a tip tank, this was supported on the shoulders of four (or more) blokes while plumbers and leccies and riggers did the disconnection stuff sitting on the wingtip. Somehow, as the activity progressed, one team got out of step. Suddenly a sharp thud followed by lots of shouting - not a good thing to hear on the pan. Seems one team had leap frogged the other and started to remove a tank, but it hadn't been de-fuelled yet! And it was a phenolic resin type tank! Shattered like an egg on the concrete but luckily was only half full. The Red Thunderbirds turned up smartish and hosed down the area but we still had to change the mainwheel on that side. Morale? Nix assume, checkers!
CC
Don't recall having to trestle a wing to fit/remove tips. And surely the tank should not have been fuelled
before the plumber and leccy work had finished? Unless everybody was in "get it done now" mode that morning, even then, not good practice. . .
Know what you mean though