I wouldn't discount the psychological effects here. Some of us (should probably read most, myself included) usually convince ourselves that the best stunt ship in the world is the new one gassing off in the paint stand.
This effect is so strong that when we go put the maiden flight on this new bird, that we dare to put a full pattern on it just for bragging rights or because we mentally mask all the planes real inadequacieses.
Funny how a few flying sessions later, the posts start to roll in, asking trim questions about planes that "flew perfect, right of the bench".
I see this work in reverse too. Get to a contest, especially a pressure cooker like the Nat's, and oh, my world beater is flying like cr@p! When in reality, its is flying the same as it always has, but our adrenaline is so high that we are super sensitized to every little nuance of what the plane is doing.
After a full week of intense flying at the Nat's, I once retrimmed my plane so that when I got home and took a month off of flying and finally got back to fly it, it felt extremely sensitive like a combat ship with explosive corners. At home I was yipping it all over and felt like an amature, where at the Nat's, I was "into it" from all the hours of flying every day and didn't give it a second thought and the plane felt rock solid. (Note: I left the plane alone, and learned to fly it that way. It only took a few flights to get back into it. And why put it back, and go through it all over again at the next Nats?)
Sometimes a little "top secret" confidence booster helps. Like some silly little modification you make and don't tell anyone about... "the airfoil varies somwhat from the plans, it's .00000000002% thicker at secret spot on the back side of the highpoint, bwaahahahahaha! I will dominate!!!!" or some such crazy thing. In reality, whatever effect such things have are probably lost in the noise, and certainly inside the building tolerance and capability of the average builder, but hey, if it give's you the confidence to walk out to pick up your handle with a little swagger and burn one in, I say why not. Heh heh.
So... while I know a "great" plane may be required to win a contest, I don't necessarily think you need the "best stunt ship" just one that YOU THINK is the best at that moment and have the confidence to drill through the tricks without choking.
Well, that's my silly .02 cents worth anyways.
EricV