The Artus Light is Nova’s ultra lightweight paraglider race harness, especially developed for the 2021 red Bull X-Alps.
Théo de Blic will be using it in the competition this summer, and has been heavily involved in its design. Nova say it’s radical and uncompromising, made to be as light and as aerodynamic as possible. It has already passed load tests and has an approved protector.
In Théo’s size the current prototype weighs around a kilo, including protector and soft links. It packs down small, requires no particular pre-flight preparation, and is not too cumbersome to walk around launch in.
It has a slim silhouette with a small projected frontal area and a fast-filling aerodynamic tail. The technology in the low-profile protector is a closely guarded secret for now, but Nova say it absorbs energy very well and it doesn’t need to be inflated on launch. The footplate is made from an undisclosed new material, and is half the weight of an equivalent carbon footplate.
The Artus Light has been tested with and is designed to perfectly complement the Xenon, Nova’s 2021 X-Alps wing. Together Nova say they give pleasantly damped handling with good weightshift and agility.
The Artus Light is only for X-Alps pilots, but Nova say they are working on a more durable serial version.
