Wing Pinion Tanks

[punkalouver]

These were the external fuel tanks sticking out of the wings of the de Havilland Comet. I was wondering where the name came from. And have there been any other aircraft with these kind of fuel tanks.

https://www.google.com/search?q=wing...NyjERm6hWgOHM:

[Spooky 2]

I have nevr heard the term "pinion tanks" before. The Lockheed Jet Star had "slipper" tanks and there was an after market slipper tank made for the Viscount. I don't think the Viscount mod was designed for airline use, but rather a corporate mod (STC), to increase range. The singer Ray Charles had them on his Viscount.

Not a great picture but you can see them protruding from the wing on these photos. These may have also been called Tenneco tanks as I believe they once owned this arcraft at paid for the design?
https://www.google.com/search?q=ray+...lovQ0UM:&vet=1



http://www.vickersviscount.net/Index...53History.aspx

[Winemaker]

Seems pretty straight forward to me:

Noun (plural pinions)

1. A wing.
2. The joint of a bird's wing farthest from the body.
3. Any of the outermost primary feathers on a bird's wing.

[DaveReidUK]

Flight magazine hedged its bets when featuring the Comet 3 in 1954, describing them as "pinion" (in quotes) tanks, suggesting that it had never encountered the term before:

The New Comet

[rog747]

I always knew of the later Comet 4 and 4C's front mounted wing fuel tanks noted as ''pinions''
I'm probably as old as Dave above though lol