I was stunned when I heard this.
Neither the Federal Aviation Administration nor the major aircraft manufacturers publish information about which planes and helicopters contain DU components. As one industry insider told a reporter, “No one brags about DU.” However many wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747, Lockheed L-1011, McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed military C-130 all require the use of counter-balance weights for proper flight control. The Boeing 747 airplane program utilized depleted uranium for its first 550 aircraft built. The company obtained in excess of 200 tons of the radioactive material, and cast approximately 12,000 parts.