EDITED: I first wrote this post thinking I was measuring a V2 8m, as that's what I ordered from a retailer. Oops! It is in fact a 9m.
I received a 9m UFO. Here are some measurements:
According to my scale it weighs 4.25 pounds. However, my scale also weighs a 2Kg reference weight at 4.48 pounds, when it should weigh 4.41 pounds. Taking into account that error, the 9m weighs 4.18 pounds which is very slightly less than advertised. (4.19 pounds vs 4.18 pounds.) Very nice to see an advertised weight that is not only realistic, but a tiny bit conservative! My 9m V1.1 UFO weighs in at 4.48 pounds after correction. So the V2 9m is .3 pounds lighter than the V1.1 as weighed on my scale back to back.
The V2 9m is just slightly larger than the V1.1 9m. Wing chord is about 2" greater and wing span is 2" - 4" greater.
The LE material of both kites mic's out at just over .6 mm thick doubled up. LE diameter is identical, or so close I can't tell, between the two.
The bridal diameter mic's out at 1.6 mm on the V2 and 2.1 mm on the V1.1 The bridal is visibly smaller in diameter on the V2. This should make the V2 faster for sure.
The bridal has different geometry on the V2. Check the pictures. With the bridal tight except for the line with the bungee, the V2 bridal crosses the trailing edge considerably more inboard than the V1.1 bridal does.
The center line pigtails are improved. The older Slingshot pigtails would kind of jam as you opened up the larks head to detach the lines. The new version fixes this issue. A small, but appreciated, detail.
I have yet to fly the V2; that probably will happen in the first week of May. TBH, I am more concerned with how the kite feels and how fast it is than the fact that it weighs less. If the kite feels lighter at the control bar I'll be ecstatic. The UFO is already exceptionally light. I'm hoping that: the design has been tweaked and that combined with the thinner bridles it makes the kite faster and more responsive. Mostly I care about the 8m and the 11m being more responsive than the V1.1 7m and 9m respectively. Actually, if the 8m feels as good as the V1.1 7m and the 11m feels as good as the V1.1 9m, I'll be thrilled. That will make the 6-5-4 combination killer for stronger winds, and the 8m-11m perfect for lighter winds. I'm completely happy with the V1.1 5m as it sits, and I imagine the 4m will be even better.
The 11m should be considerably lighter than the one strut 12m kites, about 2 pounds lighter than my current 12m. That should hopefully make the 11m faster; it should be a light wind killer. If so, I'll be happy. EDITED: See my next post, apparently the 11m is in fact a light wind killer.
