Photograph:
Akrotech Giles G-202 ZK-NUT (c/n G202028) at Omaka, NZ in April 2003 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat aerobatic monoplane
Power Plant:
One 149 kw (200 hp) Textron Lycoming AEIO-360 four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 6.10 m (20 ft)
- Length: 5.49 m (18 ft)
- Height: 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
- Wing area: 6.97 m² (75 sq ft)
- Max cruising speed: 343 km/h (213 mph)
- Cruising speed at 75% power: 333 km/h (207 mph)
- Stalling speed: 107 km/h (66 mph)
- Max rate of climb: 1,067 m/min (3,500 ft/min)
- Range (no reserves): 1,759 km (1,093 miles)
- Empty weight: 340 kg (750 lb)
- Loaded weight: 589 kg (1,300 lb)
History:
The Akrotech Giles G-200 was primarily a carbon fibre reinforced composite aerobatic monoplane produced in kit form in two main variants by Akrotech Aviation of Scappoo, Oregon, USA, the G-200 single-seat and the G-202 two-seat. The prototype G-200 (N5296E) made its public debut in 1994 and soon became available in kit form, the first kit built aircraft flying on 26 May 1996.
The type was designed to produce the highest possible performance in the aerobatic mode using a four-cylinder engine, providing a rate of roll of 400 degrees per second. Standard fuel capacity in the fuselage was 72 litres (15.8 Imp gals) but wing-tanks were optional and provided an extra 114 litres (25 Imp gals).
A two-seat variant was developed, the prototype (N50AL) being displayed at the Experimental Aricraft Association [EAA] event at Oshkosh in Wisconsin in 1995, making its first flight on 22 December that year. As with the G-200, it could be fitted with engines in the 112 kw (150 hp) to 164 kw (220 hp) range, and had a wingspan of 6.71 m (22 ft), a length of 6.1 m (20 ft) and a max take-off weight of 725 kg (1,600 lb).
The type became popular with aerobatic pilots, the first of the type in this region being a G-202 ZK-NUT (c/n G202028 – ex N4381N) registered in Auckland on 24 September 1998, followed by VH-YLF (c/n.002 – ex N99WC) – the prototype of the series – in May 2005 with Inverted Downunder of Merewether, NSW. Further examples included a G-200, which became ZK-LGT (c/n 9706-9 – ex OY-IIL) in Wellington, NZ in late 2009. Another G-202 later became VH-XXG (c/n G202/56).