Nova
X-ray Review By Greg Hamerton
Greg Hamerton is a Paragliding Instructor from Cape Town and has
flown over 1000 hours in the thermic conditions of South Africa.
He is the author of the Fresh Air Site Guide, a regular writer for
Cross Country Magazine, and hosts a free-flying Website at http://www.paragliding.co.za/hammer
. He has flown over 60 wings and prefers XC flying to competitions.
Nova's previous DHV2 glider was the functional Axon, a glider with
easy, measured launching and forgiving handling. She tended to lose
height on turns in light conditions, though she was a secure and
confidence-building ride with no surprises. The Xray replaces the
Axon. Does it improve on the old design, or is it merely another
wing to titillate the desire for something new?
NOVA describes the Xray as a trusty, safe glider, aimed at the
most popular class of pilots. I didn't have time to do a full review,
but managed to get a good feel for the wing. The Xray is an improvement
on her predecessor, and is certainly safe and fun.
Construction : The glider fabric is very light and cripy. Adequate
insertion of tape along the leading edge ensures smooth cell openings.
The riser webbing seems a little cheap, without the finish on the
sewing and speedbar attachments which I had expected. The backpack
was functional, with a waist-strap that fitted comfortably, and
all the standa rd straps and buckles. Two tie-straps inside the
bag to secure and tighten the wing in place are a nice addition.
The bag lacks rigidity however, and tended to sag a bit at the hips,
making long walk-outs uncomfortable.
In flight stability : It's in the air that the wing comes into
her own.
Pitch - a very good tendency in the wing to damp out dives means
that the Xray is unlikely to continue a pendulum after one surge.
Speedbar - marked acceleration from trim speed of 37 to 47. The
nose felt a little 'light', and wingtips were tucked easily, though
they re-inflated on their own accord while on full speedbar, indicating
a safe angle of attack.
Wing-overs - took a while to build up, due to the roll-stability
of the Xray. Weight shift by itself does not have much effect, and
healthy doses of brake were needed to push the wing below the horizon.
Front tuck - in and out, like any modern wing.
Big ears - reinflate on their own accord
Asymmetric collapse - small tucks reinflate on their own with a
small turn to the collapsed side. 40% collapses reinflated automatically,
though the glider spiralled gently without input, completing a mild
360 turn before returning to level flight.
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