Help! Wing Locks?

[Scooter The White Rabbit]

Is there anywhere I can get Wing Lock Pins like on the Grumman G-44 Widgeon? I'd love to add/use such equipment on my Guinea Pig and Mama Guinea builds. I've never been a true fan of rubber band wing hold downs. Please, please tell me where I can get the wing locks and magnets! Thank you.

 

[Bricks]

An alternative is plastic ( nylon ) screws and nuts like is used on gasser planes. The nuts get mounted to the fuselage and reinforced holes are made in the wing for the screws to go thru so the wing gets screwed into place.

 

[cyclone3350]

That is what I use. I buy them from Ace Hardware in the fastener isle. In this case, I used two pieces of 1/8 balsa laminated together. I also used poly styrene tubing cut the same thickness of the wing and glued into the wing holes.( EverGreen poly styrene tubing form Hobby Lobby) This will allow U to bolt without compressing the wings. I then use an Xacto knife to make small holes for the bolts. Then I saturate the balsa with thin CA to reinforce the wood fibers and finish with a drill bit. U can use a tap to thread or I buy a steel bolt the same size and use that to tap the threads. Reinforce with more thin CA. If your plane is of some size and weight, then use birch ply or a Maple hardwood for the bolts to screw into. in that case U need to use a thread tap.

 

[JennyC6]

Nothing wrong with rubber bands. One of my favorite birds uses them. And it's glow!

 

[cyclone3350]

Agreed., That was the original plan for the fore mentioned model. That was until I realized that that I didn't allow for a spot to put a forward dowel. The best part about rubber bands is, that they will absorb the shock for those oops and will break free minimizing damage.

 

[Bricks]

If you use smaller nylon bolts they will shear weather it saves from any more damage is questionable.