anyone here familiar with the quality of the kits from Giant Scale Planes? i am looking at the 67" g-202. if anyone out there has this arf, how do you like it? what do you power it with? i would like to stay with a 2-stroke if possible but want unlimited vertical.....well, enough to practice torque rolls and hovering. they recommend a .60 2-stroke or a 1.20 4-stroke. any comments on this plane or company would be appreciated.
thanks,
mike

I just posted a review of their 35% Edge in the Giant Scale section.

I'd advise to stay away from them. I've talked with one of their reps out in NC and he even told me that they had been experiencing numerous problems with their arfs (falling apart and bad glue joints) as well as bad flying characteristics. I've had their smaller giles 202 and it had bad stall tendencies and a friend of mine had the Sukhoi and he had structural problems from day one and he had to make several mods to get it flying o.k. so that it would finally hold together a full flight. I've experienced very bad customer service with one of their main guys there and will not be doing any business with them again. Hope this helps...

<<...one of their reps... told me they were having problems...>>

Oops; as soon as Irwin hears about this, that guy is toast.

The usual refrain, regarding product problems, you get from this outfit is: "We've never had (or heard of) that problem before".

The insinuation, of course, being that you are obviously a cretin who doesn't know how to build a model...

Steve

I haven't had any structural problems with their airplanes but I can tell you that they are not the highest quality arfs available and not real fun to assmeble. I only flew my 67" Extra about 10 times before I retired it. It had a real bad tip stall and the covering was coming off. I reinforced everything I could reach as I was building it, but I'm still not confident of their quality. I am donating it to my club.

thanks for the input guys. i'm really glad i asked about it now, i was really close to ordering it the other day. well this has really changed my mind. any substitutions you guys can think of?
thanks again
.......mike

I'd recommend the Great Planes Giles or the Thunder Tiger as a substitute for the GiantScalePlanes Giles. They are closest to the size you want. I've been in the hobby for 17 years and built over 40 models and have had very few problems with these companies products. I believe Great Planes is one of the best. Good luck and hope this helps!






Steve Cambell, this is not the place for making cheap shots at others and advise you to go elsewhere to do so.

In this case I think the post above was warranted. Bad experiences in both product quality and service are quite the norm with this outfit.

Mark

I can assure you, Steve campbell's remarks were not a cheap shot, take heed.

Thanks for the back-up, guys.

aerobatix, call it what you wish; truth is truth.

Steve

Hi Steve,

I have a problem with some manufacturers/suppliers too. Now, your above statement is about your experience... that goes over just fine here. Then there's this part:

Oops; as soon as Irwin hears about this, that guy is toast.

That's not about your experience. So, Kevin was calling a spade a spade in this regard.

Steve, I've watched you with this for a couple of months, and I think you're doing very well with it. You've become more and more careful with your words. That's good because they have more influence over more people that way. Keep at it... it is very hard... once we feel personally taken advantage of... it's hard to reframe from trying to get even. Believe me... I understand.

With that... I think even though this thread is short... all points have been clearly made. I think we'd all be showing our discernment if we let this thread end... letting people garner from it what they will.

hey guys,
i didnt mean to start a war here. what do ya say we get back to the Giles?
someone reccommended the GreatPlanes G202, anyone have any comments on this plane?
thanks again,

mike

Gee, I didn't realize I was being monitored.

As far as my words "having influence", people can (and will) believe what they want to. It makes no difference to me.

The guy asked a question; I was trying to save him some possible grief. But God forbid we say something negative... ah, whatever.

Steve

Mike...I think you would really like the GP Giles 202 over the GSP.com 202. They are not even in the same ball park when it comes to every aspect of comparison. I have had both and the GP Giles 202 is really nice...check out my GP Giles 202 assy. gallery I made up and you can see what I mean.

Steve C....been there...done that...with Irwin's stuff and the company...not me, no way!!! Once bit...twice...no way!!!

http://home.austin.rr.com/mygpgiles/

If I had it all to do over again I would build the Midwest G202...!

Hi Mike!

My friend Ali has one. I was really impressed with the plane. The fuse dosen't have a flat spot on it... it's all curved... very nice. The cowl and wheel pants are fiberglass and very nicely painted. And, the covering is Monokote. We noticed this because the Kangke Cap I was working on at the time had plastic wheel pants and cheap covering even though the model costs alot more.

The tailfeathers were airfoiled and double beveled, as well. Also something not on the Kangke CAP. The wing was large, also... making me think it would have a respectable wing loading. I haven't flown it, but it looks like it's a winner. The Kangke CAP, complaints notwithstanding, flies awesome, BTW.

thanks for all the help guys. looks like its probably gonna be the GP Giles. i really like the looks of it and most everyones opinion seems to pretty good about it. plus the price is a lot better. and i guess the O.S. 1.60 fx will be the power plant. i would like a gas engine, but from what i've read so far, think it will be too heavy. thanks again for all the info guys.
mike

Sorry guys, I misunderstood Steve Campbells reply and thought he was "attacking" me in his sentence which said "obviously you are a cretin who doesn't know how to build." He evidently meant that was what Irwin from GiantScalePlanes incinuates when you talk with him. I totally agree with Steve that Irwin is a very difficult person to talk with and apologize for my misunderstanding. GiantScalePlanes products are cheap crap and Irwin is a bull-headed stubborn old man who does nothing to resolve a problem except start a war with you.......in my opinion.
On another note the Great Planes G 202 anyway I'm sure will be a very good airplane. That company (Great Planes) obviously takes pride in it's product and it definately shows in the products I've seen from them. Good luck with it!

Now that some misunderstandings seem to be resolved, and everyone appears to be on the same wavelength, I hope the timing is right to make a few more things clear.

1) There is no problem with saying something negative about a product (don't take it that way Steve), and it can actually help someone avoid also going through similar dissatisfaction.

2) However, it should be done with specifics about actual experiences, without being inflammatory (which both Steve and Kevin have now done in this thread). As in, the wood was cracked on the firewall, the paint was chipping on the cowl, I called support and said this exactly, and got this exact reply, etc.

3) Oftentimes, a positive recommendation towards another product, as seen in this thread, can do more to help someone avoid a less than stellar product more than a negative blasting of the product in question which could appear to many as being more personal than factual.

I hope this helps everyone concerned.

Well, Joe, I hear you and understand where you're coming from. Unnecessary flames don't do any good. And I also agree with the desire to prevent any discord here. But sometimes, being "kind and gentle" cannot convey the depths of rottenness (is that a word?<G>) one takes a risk of encountering.

I can tell you this; I deeply wish that these forums had been around in the early 90s, and I could have posed a question like Mike did, received a warning, and not done business with the firm in question. I would have been spared a lot of grief.

You and I have discussed this before; but look at how many people chime in with "Me, too!" every time someone complains about how this ONE company has ripped them off, the owner has given them unprovoked grief, or whatever. There's not just smoke here, Joe- it's a freakin' forest fire.

Where do you draw the line on presenting opinion? Facts are good; but we have opinions to go along with the facts we have experienced. Sometimes those opinions can be "inflammatory".

Steve

Time to put this particular soap opera to bed.

Joe and I have discussed this back-channel; he is caught between a rock and a hard place on this. On the one hand, he supports truth, free speech, etc. On the other, he is charged with "keeping the peace" on these forums.

I am satisfied that he is NOT adopting heavy-handed tactics, nor attempting to quash anyone's opinions. He is simply trying to maintain the good atmosphere here without stepping on anyone's toes. I respect that.

I think that the message about the vendor in question has gotten across...<G>

Steve

Hi guys! Sorry to resurrect an old thread but it's applicable. I bought the GSP G202 back in the winter and was really disappointed with the quality of the model. I had some problems with it's trim and the balance point. I put an OS 91FX in it and still had to add about 8oz of lead in the nose to get it to balance. Dry weight came out around 10 - 11 pounds so the 91 is not to much for it.

I flew it for the first time yesterday and I have to say I was quite pleased. It's solid in the turns, very crisp roll rate, and tracks straight and true. I was truly surprised. I had visions of it piling up shortly after leaving the ground. I had 5 or 6 take off and landings and on the initial flight I only had to add a couple clicks of left aileron and one click of up.

I might get disappointed later, but right now I think it's a keeper.

Would I buy another GSP.com model after flying this one? No.