As announced earlier on Roy's thread and as I promised to Denis and VortexTeam, I'll try to share with the rest of you guys my experience on getting one of these beautiful creations ready to fly.

Since the talking on every other aspect of the Ultima2 is still going and raising on the other thread, I'll try to keep my reports focused mostly at "on the bench" part with as many pictures possible.

Took about a month on the making and six days do get the sturdy package delivered at my workshop. Fat carton doubled at most sides, made it impossible to get any damage from any careless couriers. Bubble-wrap oversupply on the inside, too. All parts were separately wrapped two or three times and all together in a compact and solid pack, adding in the whole's rigidity. The details on the way the team has standardized their packaging process for every Ultima could not be left unnoticed. You get the feeling at once that these guys have send some hundreds of them and at the same time care and appreciation of what they deliver is obvious. Even masking tape holding the wrap together was cut in a standard way rather that just torn off the roll...

Hyperion servos is my choice for my gliders for years now (got some dozens of them), so we'll have one more alternative on VortexTeam's suggestions on gear. Not much free time available at my hands, so it might take some more than usually to get this bird (and log) done.

I'm looking forward to future installments of this thread. My Ultima 2 is due in January.

Unpacking was a moment of joy and admiration. Had a lot of rc-gliders on my bench before, but this time I felt I had to deal with a real "model". Delicate with beautiful lines and so much attention to every detail my eyes could catch. Wing and tail areas gave me a sensation of rigidity in contrast to almost imperceptible weight and fuselage surprised me with the excellence of quality and features I could distinguish.

The more I was spending time observing each piece I could realize that there was no aspect left inferior, considering a design aiming to minimal weight. Fixation on every joint is far from what our market usually offers, with perfect fits but also the necessary reinforcements were needed are obvious.

Cross-section of the fuselage got a lot of my attention. The flat bottom under the canopy area (for easier placement of our gear but also the two edges formed add some more stiffness mechanically) and the square-like shape at the boom (stiffness again with minimal weight) are features showing a lot of practical thinking and knowledge . People involved on this task knew what they were aiming for and not just experimenting on new features. The servo bay is another point worth mentioning but the most impressive for me was the divided front part. The main goal of interchangeable powertrain is brilliant but also fixing your gear in the fuselage is done much easier.

Some "out of the box" pictures are following, were I tried to catch every detail I could and share with you.

Fuselage's front part.

Originally Posted by georgeg

I'm looking forward to future installments of this thread. My Ultima 2 is due in January.

welcome aboard, George.

...and the rear part.

Thin walled on most of its length, with perfect fittings on wing and tails. Push-rods are already installed as also the "L" shaped piano wire at the rear ends. Holding screws' sizes, aluminum bushings, push-rods' sizes and other similar details once again reminds of the tendency to minimizing every factor possible.

fuselage put together

Another sign of the Team's passion on building to perfection was my rudder. Though it was almost perfect on sight, a light distortion of the surface at the spar area (right side only) led them to rejecting the part. You can only see that deformation if you hold the piece against the light and structurally the part is intact, but that didn't stop them from making me another perfect (as it's suppose due to their standards) rudder. Lucky me got also the "defected" part, too.

Wing panels ware a new experience for my senses. Thought I had lost part of them, since my mind could not connect the stiffness and sizes with the weight. Felt like an illusion. Airfoil's slimness is very noticeable, especially at the tips were turns to almost nothing.

Wiring n the central panel is done (with ultralight cables) and servo pockets are opened to accept the recommended servos with their frames. Slots from hinge line to the servo pockets, for the servo arms are also staved, so only fixing of the horns is left for the builder. Hinge line was left uncovered and all surfaces, not sure if I make some gap tape later.

My custom design was also performed nicely on the wing, although I was doubtful due to the complexity of the original.

...

Truly stunning design, Yorgos. That wing is truly a work of art.

--
Greg

Cheers Greg, thanks for the kind words my friend.

Created by a reaction diffusion online app https://pmneila.github.io/jsexp/grayscott/ and extruded the vectors. Then I used a part of the outcome to cover the parts I wanted (wingtips, rudder).

The design is available for anyone who would like to use it, at DSComposites on demand. It'd be really nice to see that in other colors too, on Ultimas.

Striking colors and design! Thanks for sharing the creativity.

HUGE flaps, THIN Airfoil! Is this the future???

DOES look SUPER cool though

Ps edit : think I want one! :-O

In these pics at least the construction quality of the U2 looks lightyears beyond the U1