Thanks for the kind comments Virginian,
It can be hard to seperate ones personal tastes and interests to fairly assess a product. When I look at a product, I try and look at it from the perspective of the intended market segment or fromt he various segments that it is pitched at.
In this case the Ultimate is pitched as a sport flyer, IMAC legal competitior and a 3D machine. A hardcore 3D guy, because he has no interest in sport flying might give lower marks in those categories because he personally doesn't see the value in those applications.
Much like trainers. To do a review on a trainer a person must forget his stick jammin' desires and get into "newbie" perspective. How well is the manual written, did the plane go together easily, how well does the plane taxi and settle in for landing. All the while writing the review sharing the tips and defining what CG is, what coupling is, etc...
We sometimes get accused of writing to "positively" but that is because that person looks at if from their OWN perspective. For the most part the ARFs of today all offer a substantial level of quality and performance. And what makes a review useful is it's ability to talk to the various interested segments.
The other downside is time. Manufacturers, publishers and even endusers want instantaneous reports... huys want to see video and see the process before they buy. Yet, sometimes an airframe "get's better with age". A variety of tweaks like CG, prop, engine, incidence changes, etc can be found out only after a long trial and error process is performed.
That is why I think we see two people where one loves the airplane and the other doesn't. Sometimes you hit the "sweet spot" from the get go... other times it's harder to find. And of course you never know when you've hit the perfomaqnce limit of an airframe.
A good example of this is my Double Vision. I absolutely love it. I have flown it many times and a good buddy saw it fly and was very impressed. He got one, assembled it and flew it a few times. Then sold it saying he didn't like it... that it flew funny, had to have lots of elevator trimmed in for inverted flight, etc.
I'm convinced mine went together "sweet" the first time and juts as sure that his did not... maybe even a problem with cabane reversal, CG incorrect, lateral balance, etc. Becuase I can't see him or anyone not loving the way the DV flies. But he never kept his lng enough to "straighten it out". DO I blame him? Not really. There are so many new airframes coming out every month or so, that we modelres have fallen into a voracious comsumer mode. "Gotta have it" And we move airframes as fast as we can build them. I'm certainly guilty. I've built as least 4 airframe (some to RTF) and sold before I flew them one time.
Other items, like reviews, I may like a lot but move them off simply because of the incoming airframes.
Then once in a while a plane comes along that fits "me". Offers all the things I like to enjoy in a plane, looks right, feels right, sounds right... and it finds a home.
Anywho, as you eluded in your response... yep, a review is just one person's opinion and view... and should be taken as such. I try and explain WHY I come to the conclusions I do, so that if the reader will come to another conclusion, he has that opportunity and can weigh a buying decision accordingly.
Anywho... glad you liked it... can't wait to hear you assessment when you get to fly it. I do think you will like it alot though..
