NetHeads, Somebody mentioned using stainless bolts for wing attach fittings the other day. That may or may not be OK, but you need to do your homework first. Most of the stainless bolts I see in the Wicks catalog are 431, which depending on how it was tempered, can be anywhere between 100ksi and 150 ksi tensile strength. Some stainless can approach 200 ksi, but the common stuff like 304 is much weaker (like 30 ksi, weaker than 6061-T6 aluminum).
Typical NAS bolts are 160ksi to 180 ksi. AN3 and AN6 bolts (what the plans call for) are 125 ksi. What you have may be fine, and it may not. Just do your homework for the exact material or spec that your bolts are made to, and make sure they're strong enough. If you got them from the bargain bin at the SNF flea market, all bets are off. And even the spec number may not be good enough in some cases, as some bolts can be had in either carbon steel or stainless, with the only difference being a dash and a letter at the end of the part number! Stainless bolts are something like 1% heavier than carbon steel bolts, so weight is certainly not a good reason to swap them out. I'm with Larry though... replace 'em every 10 years if it worries you. You'll take the wings off every few years anyway... Mark Langford, Huntsville, Alabama see KR2S project N56ML at http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford email to N56ML "at" hiwaay.net
