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Electrifly Ultimate Bipe EP 3D ARF Review
By dawnron1
Oct 29, 2007, 10:24 PM
Introduction
The Ultimate Biplane is one of the most recognizable aerobatic planes flying today. It's been a favorite of RC fliers for years. Electrifly has now introduced the Ultimate 3D E-Performance ARF, a thrilling aerobatic flier that delivers the all-out performance that its larger glow counterpart is famous for!
The review package arrived from Great Planes with no damage. The parts were neatly placed in the small ARF box and were also undamaged. Although there was a fairly large parts count, the Ultimate EP ARF proves to be a fairly quick build.
Kit includes:
Kit requires:
Included for this review:
Assembly
The Ultimate EP ARF build went quickly and took five evenings, working 2-3 hours to complete. The excellent photo-illustrated instruction manual is typical of Electrifly manual. Since this is a biplane, the assembly was a little more complicated, but with a little patience I knew the build would be worry-free.
Wing
The plane came with a light plywood wing 'jig' that assures that the lower wing assembly is aligned properly during the gluing process. The unique control horns, clevises and carbon pushrods assemble for precise, slop-free movement. A plywood 'jig' inserts between the cabane struts to ensure that the wing aligns properly while the upper wing is glued into place. The top and bottom ailerons are connected with a carbon pushrod.
Fuselage
The fuselage has a pre-installed plywood motor mount. The included plywood adapter allows the Rimfire motor x-mount to match up to the motor mounting pattern and bolt right into place! The instructions recommend cutting a cooling hole on the underside of the beautifully painted cowl to accommodate airflow to the battery. The landing gear is painted aluminum and features some nice looking wheel pants!
Tail
The tail group is installed using 15 minute epoxy in the usual way by first removing the covering on the horizontal stab, then aligning it with the wing and gluing it in place. The rudder is installed in the same manner. As I've mentioned in other reviews, I like to use an old soldering iron to remove the covering instead of cutting it away. A piece of U-shaped wire joins the elevator halves. Although the Ultimate has a functional rudder, it does not use a steerable tail wheel, but instead uses a light ply tail skid with a steel washer where it contacts the ground.
Power system
Motor - ElectriFly RimFire 35-30-950 Brushless Outrunner Motor
The ElectriFly RimFire 35-30-950 Brushless Outrunner motor provides excellent power for the Ultimate EP ARF. The amp draw at full throttle using the recommended APC 11 X 3.8 prop is perfectly within the limits of this motor. The Rimfire brushless outrunners are a great value, reliable and maintenance-free. They include two mounting options for either behind or in front of the firewall. I recommend them highly!
Speed Control - Electrifly Silver Series 25 amp Brushless ESC
The Electrifly Silver Series 25 amp Brushless ESC: I've been highly impressed with the Electrifly ESC's features and performance; it is simple to use and very economical.
Battery - Great Planes ElectriFly Power Series Lithium Polymer 2100mAh 11.1V 20C Lithium Polymer pack
Great Planes ElectriFly Power Series Lithium Polymer 2100mAh 11.1V 20C Lithium Polymer battery: I've been very pleased with the performance of the Electrifly Power Series LiPo batteries. They are capable of 20C amp draw and they come with a Deans connector already installed. I flew the Ultimate EP most of the time at half to three-quarter throttle with a few full throttle climbs and the Electrifly Power Series 2100 was barely warm to the touch on landing.
Completion
Lastly, I applied the Ultimate EP decals. The decals need to be cut and trimmed, and I used the box as well as the instructions as guides for placement. Take your time, especially with the gold stars, as they must be applied individually. The decals are striking and really add to the beautiful appearance of the Ultimate.
The Ultimate EP's AUW came in at 29.1 oz., with a wing loading of 10.94 oz. per square foot. The CG was set at 3-5/16" (84mm) back from center leading edge of the top wing. With the Electrifly 2100 mAh pack at the furthest forward position in the battery tray, the Ultimate EP balanced perfectly with no additional weight needed. Rates were set as recommended in the manual. Control throws were as follows: High Rate/Low Rate: Elevator: Up & Down 3/8" (9.5 mm)/1/4" (6 mm) Rudder: Up & Down 3/4" (19 mm)/1/2" (13 mm) Ailerons: Up & Down 3/16" (5 mm)/1/8" (3 mm) As I normally do with most planes, I used a little exponential to “soften the sticks” a bit. I used 30% on both low and high rates on the ailerons and elevator.
Flying
The first flight was made on a Saturday morning in light winds. Because my club field is short grass, I was concerned that the great looking wheel pants might catch the grass and cause a nose over, but my very first takeoff went smoothly!
Takeoff and LandingAs I applied full power and full up-elevator, the Ultimate EP lifted off in under 30 feet. After throttling back to half power, the plane settled in and putted around nicely. At full power it quickly gained altitude, with seemingly unlimited vertical climb. Landings were made with a surprisingly short approach and only a little bit of power. Just a small amount of flaring before touchdown made for a nice, smooth landing, and it was very comfortable and completely controllable at slower speeds.
Special Flight CharacteristicsThe Ultimate EP has a gentle, predictable stall and the left wing dropped just slightly. It also slowed down fairly quickly just before stalling (this is a biplane after all), and the recovery was quick and smooth after throttle was applied. Loops are a joy to perform and can be done very scalelike or as tight as you want. With the smooth power of the Rimfire Outrunner, the plane looped easily from level flight and I never did detect a tendency to snap out. The Ultimate rolled extremely well at the manual's recommended rates. On high rates, 2-3 rolls a second were possible, in fact, I had to pay extra attention to my orientation on high rates! The Ultimate has a huge amount of surface are on its rudder, so stall turns were a ton of fun to perform, I just pointed the plane in a vertical climb, hit the rudder and it came right over and straight down. With three-quarter to full power, the Ultimate EP really moved out. As the winds began to kick up to 7-10mph later in the morning, I flew the Ultimate again and it seemed almost unaffected and was very controllable. With the recommended Electrifly Power Series 2100 LiPo battery and some throttle management, flight times of 14-16 minutes are possible.
Is this for a beginner?
Although not a beginner's plane, the Ultimate would be a great choice for your first biplane or a second aerobatic model. It does require that the pilot have at least intermediate flying skills however. With that said, I would highly recommend it to sport fliers or someone wanting a great looking biplane that can go from mild to wild with the flip of a switch!
Flight Video/Photo Gallery
ConclusionThe Electrifly Ultimate EP ARF is a wonderful flier and a gorgeous model. The recommended power system is perfect for it, and it looks fantastic in the air. It's a worthy addition to anyone’s hangar! Check out the Electrifly Ultimate EP ARF at your local hobby shop or at Great Planes.com.
Pluses:
Minuses:
Last edited by Angela H; Oct 29, 2007 at 08:48 PM.. |
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Oct 30, 2007, 10:28 AM
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#2 |
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Pencil in the Temple!
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: pawleys island, SC
Posts: 1,076
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This plane is advertised as a 3-D aerobat. I noticed that you did not discuss 3-D capabilities in this review. Can you comment on it's 3-D capabilities?
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Oct 30, 2007, 10:35 AM
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#3 |
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"Have Glue - Will Travel"
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Ft. Worth, Texas
Posts: 2,407
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Hi dead,
That's a very good observation. I didn't actually fly it as a 3D'er but more as a sport biplane, but I have since seen one do 3D maneuvers and they fly very well. The 'barn door' control surfaces don't hurt  There is actually a recent tech note HERE about a brushless upgrade for better 3D performance(it's recommending a higher kV motor and bigger ESC for agressive 3D maneuvers).Ronnie |
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Oct 30, 2007, 11:12 AM
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#4 |
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Pencil in the Temple!
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: pawleys island, SC
Posts: 1,076
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THanks... I have one and like it very much as a sport aerobat. But as a 3D I think it is too heavy. I have been using 2100 mah batteries and am going to try 1300 as soon as I get some $. I have already been flying without the cowl and it performs much better as a 3-D plane that way. I will go check out the link.
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Oct 30, 2007, 03:39 PM
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#5 |
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3DHobbyShop disciple
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas Intl, Texas, United States
Posts: 826
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Great review as usual Ronnie.
This Ultimate flys really well as a sport plane. Very stable and no nasty tendancies during flight. I kinda have a desire for a Bipe this may be a good option. |
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Oct 30, 2007, 04:14 PM
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#6 |
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"Have Glue - Will Travel"
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Ft. Worth, Texas
Posts: 2,407
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Thanks Walter!
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Oct 30, 2007, 09:44 PM
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#7 |
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We shall serve the Lord
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TEXAS
Posts: 1,661
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Great Job Ronnie. For a Bipe, those rolls and snaps were really fast! Nice build. I really like the looks of this Ultimate. Just added it to my "must build" list.
Mike McD |
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Oct 30, 2007, 10:22 PM
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#8 |
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Smooth torquer...
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Pyrmont, Sydney
Posts: 958
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Good review - I fly an e-flite Ultimate semi scale and was looking for a bigger balsa version so this looks perfect. Thanks.
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Oct 31, 2007, 12:38 AM
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#9 |
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ARF Hater Club
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 2,576
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Great review. Nice looking Bipe.
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Oct 31, 2007, 03:46 PM
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#10 |
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Dr. Dave
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Howard County, MO
Posts: 861
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Great work Ronnie, I kept thinking there should be a wing walker on that bipe! Nice flying.
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Oct 31, 2007, 04:24 PM
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#11 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: California
Posts: 7
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I have one, I used the Eflight 480, CC35, TP2200 Extreme. Lots of power, it will do things that I am not good enough to try. Really nicely built, landing gear area is really good since I fly on a grass field, that usually has mole hills, I have bent the gear, but never damaged the mounting. I really like the plane.
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Oct 31, 2007, 08:25 PM
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#12 | |
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3DHobbyShop disciple
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas Intl, Texas, United States
Posts: 826
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Quote:
Glad to see that I had a couple of pics that made the review......Sweeeet! |
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Nov 01, 2007, 01:54 PM
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#13 |
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"Have Glue - Will Travel"
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Ft. Worth, Texas
Posts: 2,407
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Thanks guys, it really is a nice flier!
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Nov 05, 2007, 06:20 PM
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#14 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Stockton, Ca. USA
Posts: 6,628
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Great looking plane Ronnie and nice coverage of its general acrobatic capabilities. Now start practicing hovering at altitude and before you know it you will be flying that baby 3D.
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Dec 30, 2007, 11:08 PM
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#15 |
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odieyodie
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: lincoln nebraska
Posts: 20
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upgrading the motor
Great review... I have this kit and was going to put a 35-30-1450 Rimfire motor on it instead of the 950. Will it handle it?
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