Nova have released a lightweight all-round harness, the Altus, which has a pre-inflated airbag for protection. It is aimed at a wide range of pilots for all sorts of flying.
Nova say the pre-inflating airbag means very good passive safety for the Altus, offering protection even before launch thanks to a durable foam mesh which expands as soon as the harness is taken out of the bag. Once in the air, this protection is augmented by a thick cushion of air around the pilot’s back.
The parachute container is located between the back and the airbag, and the airbag does not deflate if the reserve is thrown.
The seat plate means the pilot gets good feedback from the wing, and the harness’s back offers good support in flight.
The Altus has been built to last, with a scoop protector looking after the airbag inlets, and an underseat abrasion protector made from heavy-duty tarpaulin on the bottom in case of seated skid landings – if you do damge the protector you can simply replace it.
The foam mesh that pre-inflates the airbag is very tough, Nova say, so so you can safely squash the Altus down nice and small to pack it away. And it’s light too: the S size is just 3.5kg, and the L is 4kg.
The Altus will be available from the end of April 2015 in three sizes:
Size S <171 cm; 3.5 kg
Size M 170–190 cm; 3.7 kg
Size L >190 cm; 4.0 kg
Nova Altus protection system
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