Whirly Bird,
How do I know the rod bends a bit? Because I've bent mine twice. I have money that says the wing would be a pile of balsa splinters both times if the wing was glued.
Plane still flies great. Now if the wing had folded, I'd have one less plane in the hangar. Don't tell the wife.
It wasn't difficult to straighten the rod once I decided that the "usual" methods didn't work out so well. I laid it on my garage floor with the ends down and bent center up. A few hammer taps and it's fine.
Perhaps all the rods aren't made of the same material.
If you guys feel the need to glue the wings together, that's great. I'll no longer argue against it. It's your plane. :thumbup:
About the CG changing because some wings have a wooden wedge joiner: Isn't the rod on the CG? If so, you just end up with less weight when you get the wooden joiner.