Comet 2 mystery compartment in wing tips
 

In 1957 I worked on DH Comet 2 conversions and during this time we came across a small compartment approximately 12 inches wide and same deep, in the underside of the wingtips of these aircraft . There was a small access panel to it and the area was strengthened and made to contain something. Enquiries at that time, revealed that it was a recepticle for transporting radio active isotopes for hospital use, over long distances, at the furthest point from the pax .
It was a totally sealed area with no access to lights etc nearby .
Anyone hearing of similar stories might help to confirm that this was not a windup.

Years ago I saw a documentary film clip on TV where radio isotopes were loaded into wingtip areas of a Comet.

So yes, it is certainly true.

I remember seeing an article on this subject - long time ago - but can confirm seeing a photo of a white-overall clad operator lowering a cylindrical flask into the receptacle using a six-foot handling stick.

The caption mentioned radio-active isotopes for medical purposes.

Not sure of the airframe, however.....

radio active isotopes
 

BEagle
Thanks for that, so it was true

What a good idea.

Aaaah, de Havilland! :ok:

OMG! Could this mean the Chemtrailers are correct?

Secret compartments used to carry medicines.

Ideal for crew to carry their duty free:)

I too remember seeing a clip on TV showing someone putting a small receptacle of radioactive material in the wingtip of a Comet. In my recollection, it was very small and was lowered into a small circular orifice about 2 in diameter. Kind of makes you wonder if more recent airliners might have a similar 'secret' compartment away from areas of human habitation

Sorry to disappoint, but most "small" isotope packages used for medical treatment or industrial use either go in the cargo hold of passenger aircraft in specially designed, tested & certified transportation packages. Larger radioactive sources either go by sea, or on cargo aircraft.

There are a few reasons that they now go in the cargo hold, rather than way out at the wing tip.

Firstly, the rules on transporting radioactive sources have changed to very severly limit the amount of radiation that you can detect on the surface of the package that contains a radioactive source, so each package has to be specifically designed & tested to suit the radioactive source being transported within it.
Secondly, the transport package has to be proof against a hell of a lot of normal & fairly abnormal transport circumstances and has to keep the radioactive source secure [lockfast] between shipper & receiver, so that even if it gets dropped after being left in a bucket of water for a week, and then slightly burnt, there won't be a measurable radiation level at any surface of the package in excess of the specified (low) level.
Thirdly, if you "lost" a radioactive source way back when the Comet was designed, it wasn't really a huge deal, especially if it was somewhere over the Empire. Now it's classed as somewhat worse than child abuse combined with smuggling class "A"drugs inside fluffy kittens that you've killed especially to stuff with the drugs, and there is almost no end to the efforts you are legally required to go to to prove that you've done everything possible to retreive the lost source.

Even with all this it's still one of the easier items for the Pilot in Command to refuse to transport, either for passenger aircraft or for freight aircraft, although most of the freight guys are quite sensible.

Any other small, secret compartments in any aircraft are now between the Cabin Crew & HM Customs.


Donkey
NRPB Trained Radiation Protection Supervisor (Lapsed)

Precious metals
 

Let's go in a different direction, I believe the main reason for the secure compartment was precious metals from South Africa e.g. Gold and Diamonds.
The Comet was designed in the late '40's and entered service in the Summer of '52 on the route to Johannesburg.
It is quite reasonable to assume that in the event of a mishap the wingtip would have a better chance of staying intact and also not be the target of scavengers that would attend such mishap over Africa of the day.
This is not pie in the sky, I have also been aware of this compartment for the same period of time, it is interesting to see it's existence being highlighted after so long.

I can remember panels in Britannia Wing Tips as well. Not so big as described here. Panel was about 6 in, square and when opened revealed a circular hole approx 4in dia and 6 in deep. Never knew what the purpose of it was though.

Temps

That's exactly as I remember it. It must have been after about 1953 as we didn't have TV until then.

'tis true.

Many aircraft had (have) various odd voids in their structure, particularly those designed in the '50s and 60's before CAD got going.

HM Customs never really latched on to the inherent possibilities, either.

Among the most notorious examples were the Data Link computer cases in the Frightening. It is alleged that they could hold up to 800 fags at an endex....

:)

The clip on telly must have been in the 60s cos we didn't have a telly 'til about '58.

I remember during my V force days coming back after a long detachment in the Far East. Two of the participating Valiants, coincidentally with sequential serial numbers, were wheeled into the hanger. One was coming in for a scheduled minor servicing and the other was going to get the attentions of a HM Customs rummage squad.
HM Customs one was in a dreadful state. It was smothered in gantries and all the panels were hanging down with blokes in portcullis hats barking orders everywhere. The minor servicing, however, was proceeding very casually, seemingly little more than wiping it over with an oily rag.
After a full day the Customs gave up and went away. As their vans went around the corner the other Valiant exploded......

As I watched my aircraft being unloaded I then realised why we had used up so much runway at Butterworth, Gan, Bahrain and Akrotiri.