My Sig Kougar kit uses 1/4" dowels for the wing mounting. I've read to substitute with 5/16" dowels instead. Is there really that much difference with a plane the size of a Kougar?

Nahhhhhh.

The 1/4" dowels will be plenty

Hi!
Sure! It will work. But a much better way is using aluminium arrow shafts for wing dowels. Never compresses like wood do and much stiffer and lighter.

Using larger dowels will help to prevent them from breaking in a crash. Instead of the dowels breaking, the wing will snap.

I'd prefer to replace dowels than build a new wing.

Great point!

J

I am not sure if this applies. But, one time I saw one 30% Extra 300 come down in a vertical spiral because the dowels failed in one wing in middle air. The wing rotated 90-deg.

Any ideas what could have happened?

Pedro

You're talking about a different type of dowel

I think it would be cool to see a 30% plane with dowels and rubber bands to hold the wing on

I believe these are the dowels we're talking about

Ah, I see now. A picture worth a thousand words. The dowels I referred insert into the side of the fuselage to prevent the wing from twisting once is in the wing-tube.

Thanks

Anti-rotation dowels versus wing retention dowels.

A

Yeah, I don't see a lot of need to make them bigger. Plus by making them bigger the wing leading edge may actually become weaker because of the larger holes required to hold them.