Is the only Giles 202 everyone talking about the Cox version?
Here are the spec's:
The Giles 202 offers plenty of performance for sport aerobatic pilots. Specs: length-47.8 in.; wingspan-49.6 in.; wing area-439 sq. in.; weight-5.5 lb.; engine req'd-.40 to .46; radio req'd-4-channel w/4 servos
When I first read the review on the model, I thought "what a load of crap". According to the review it was better than sliced bread.
Look at the numbers. It has a wing area of only 439 sq. in. which is only 3 sq. ft. - rather small for a 40-46 sized model. Then inspite of it's small size it weighs 5.5 lbs dry, or 88 oz. This gives a wing loading of around 29 oz/sq. ft. For a model for a typical sport pilot, this is very high for a small model with a short wing span.
Why is the wingspan of interest? Well induced drag is inversely proportional to the wingspan squared, and during landing the majority of the drag is due to induced drag. So small heavy models tend to drop out of the sky on landing.
So when you are selecting a model for your next project, be very aware of the numbers, and try to ignore the pretty package.