In the previous article we saw that small 6mm rod ends were enough to hold the wings of a 30k model loaded at 7.5G. What sizes will be needed for heavier planes?
The 6mm size support a load of 6000N. Unless I am mistaken, for a 240kg single-seat aircraft, you will therefore need rod ends supporting a load 8 times greater, i.e. 48,000N
For a 480kg two seater they will have to withstand 96,000N
For a 960kg four-seater they should support nearly 200,000N!
The 6mm rod ends weigh 20gr but the rod ends that support 48,000N are 18mm size and they weigh 240gr. Those that withstand 96,000N are 30mm size and they weigh 980gr! And the rod ends of a four-seater should weigh 2.5kg each!
It therefore seems that this wing folding system with rod ends is reserved for very light aircraft, single-seaters or maximum two-seaters. For heavier planes it might be necessary to use other types of spherical bearings with different mountings.