Nova is an Austrian company working out of Innsbruck. Designer Hannes Papesh is based there and his team of test pilots [Toni, Walter and Mario] test there and in other well known locations like Monaco. The UK importer is Dean Crosby at Active Edge.

The last two years have been a very busy period for Nova, as they have finished the entire Radon family and two DHV1 gliders as well as the Syntax. The Syntax evolved form lessons learned in the design and testing of prototypes for the Radon family - Hannes noted that when he reduced the aspect ratio on some prototypes the performance penalty of this was partly offset by a reduction in line drag. This is because a high aspect ratio glider needs more line in the spanwise direction to support it properly. Further development of this concept resulted in the Syntax, a glider with only two A lines per side. Line consumption for all sizes is under 400m. The lack of line and the "two lines per side" make the glider look quite distinctive. The glider also has a slight zig-zag to the under surface leading edge like the Pheron, with different depths to the cell entries like some other new gliders on the market.

The standard Syntax uses Gelvenor OLKS siliconised PU coated nylon for the top surface, with NCV Skytex in different grades of finish for the lower surface and ribs. Nova is planning a lightweight version [Easy Walking] of the Syntax for mountain hiking and flying, using a new version of Skytex with a revolutionary long lasting coating. This new grade of Skytex [40gm Medium 2.0 (D911)] is already used in white on the lower surface of the standard Syntax, and will form the whole body of the "Easy Walking" Syntax. Other concessions to lightweight flying will include use of the thinner Aeron style webbing for the risers. A complete list of all materials used in the Syntax and a list of all the checks to perform annually can be downloaded from the Nova web site, in the downloads section. A complete set of all glider manuals can also be found there.

The Syntax is available in five sizes covering from 55kg up to 130kg. The size used for the test was the medium, which covers 85-110 kg all up. I flew this at about 106 kg. My preference for the current Nova range is to fly in the top half of the weight range of a smaller glider rather than the bottom half of the next size up, if the choice exists. The medium Syntax is just under 30 square metres, so this gives a similar wing loading to most other large gliders.

The glider is supplied with a rucksack, inner bag and compression strap, windsock and speed system with two stage speed bar and an easy adjusting system on the Brummel hooks used to connect the stirrup to the glider. The test glider didn't have a manual included but it was available for download on the Nova web site. The print run is now done and all Syntaxes will go out with a bound manual, which is very clear and concise, covering all aspects of flying and caring for the glider. The rucksack is identical in concept to the one used for the last two years but has undergone a number of improvements to materials used and details of things like compression straps. The main thrust of the design is that the glider fits into the bottom of the bag with the harness on top and upside down, resulting in a higher centre of gravity than usual but one which is much closer to the spine making for much easier carry ups. In order to benefit from the design careful adjustment of the straps is needed.

The glider has a four riser system [counting the split As as one riser], with webbing made from the 25mm Güth and Wolf 2000 kg stuff used by Nova for the last two years. The hang loop now has a cover to reduce wear at this point - an improvement over previous models. In general it seems like a number of these small changes have added further polish to an already high standard of finish. From each riser two lines go up to the canopy, except on the B riser where a stabilo line takes the count up to three.

Reverse launching can be done by simply leaning back in the harness, the glider comes up over head with no sticking point as far as I can tell. Equally faultless launches resulted from pulling the inner or both As. For forward launching I used the inner As only, and was delighted with the controlled way the glider came overhead. Brake travel is fairly long as you can expect for a glider at this level but in stronger winds it seems kinder to put the glider down on one tip in a sort of reverse action to an asymmetric launch, rather than pulling the brakes hard and banging the wing into the ground. The glider is very easy to put down using this technique.

In the air the Syntax is delight and simplicity itself. It's solid, stable, reassuring, and yet so easy to turn. On the first of the spring thermal days, the combination comes to the fore, as you are rusty, but keen to climb out with the promise of a return to thermal flying. The Nova manual says the chest strap can be set to between 45 and 60 cm, so I went about 48cm and headed off towards the first thermals of spring. At this setting the feedback is just about right for me but a new pilot might set closer to the 45-46 used as standard by most manufacturers. The Syntax banks up into thermals very easily, and any angle of bank is easily set. Weight shift helps but the Syntax is very uncritical of your co-ordination. Looking up, the bifurications on the lines remind you of the Axon, and the planform of the X-Act. However the handling and performance of this glider is a big step away from both those two gliders. I had a week in Southern Spain flying this glider and its comportment made for really great flying. I was spending most of my concentration looking for lift, optimising climbs in small thermals and was generally able to make the most of the conditions simply because the ease with which the glider flies means you are not having to continually make active flying adjustments to the brakes and harness. This simplicity means that you can really enjoy your flying, and even when bumped against the inversion and thrown about the glider doesn't seem like it will collapse. Coupled with the performance the Syntax offers you have a near perfect glider for those first few tentative XCs, even in Spring conditions.

Sink rate appears to be good whilst flying with other gliders despite being loaded into the top 20% of the weight range. I found I could get up to the same level as top end DHV1-2s and some 2s whilst sharing the air on a coastal ridge. Trim was 36-37km/h, and I found that pushing into wind at this speed seemed to give pretty good results. The speed bar travel is fairly long for a glider in this class but no incidents occurred despite some serious use of the bar up to full speed, which averaged 48km/h. Looking up at the sail showed no areas for concern, with just a little dimple to be seen between the Mylar stiffeners in the leading edge, which is partly caused by the size of the cells and hence the distance between stiffeners. This can only been seen on full bar and doesn't seem to affect the way the glider flies, as it remains very solid up to the end stops, but then I'm always respectful when using full bar in thermic conditions.

The strong sense of security the glider gives gets even better when some manoeuvres are tried. Big ears are incredibly easy, ranging from just having the tips in to having just under 50% of the wing area folded away. This is made easy by the 2 line design, allowing the ears to simply be made bigger by pulling more of the outer A risers. With three line designs with split As its never easy to get really big ears with one line alone, and a pilot flying at this level probably doesn't want to go down the route of pulling in two lines each side. The Syntax gives a very high descent rate when the ears are close to the 50% level, and they pop out at any setting without pilot intervention. Pulling one line in for a small asymmetric results in a quick self clear with no changes, pulling a whole riser [50%] results in a lot of resistance from the canopy followed by a very small turn and again immediate recovery. B line stall is classic, with the canopy dropping back then returning overhead in a stable stall. Releasing the B riser results in a quick recovery with no drama. The glider simply surges slightly and flies away, with no need for pilot intervention. Spirals are moderately easy to execute, but controlled, and the exit as soon as the brake is released is quick but even and exceptionally well mannered.

The Syntax is a very well rounded piece of design. It offers the new pilot a very high level of safety but with good, useable performance and enough feedback to know which way to turn in the thermals encountered. Like its little sister the Pheron it offers an excellent climb rate and will be easy to bank up or turn flat, depending on conditions. Even for an experienced pilot the glider is very rewarding to fly with little or no effective performance penalty compared to a top end 1-2 unless the speed bar is used a lot of the time. All the accessories packaged with the glider have had the few issues I remember from previous tests completely sorted. The only two problems I can find are that the red and black Gelvenor the glider was supplied in for the tests picks up the dust on Southern Spanish take offs quite a lot and then it shows, and that the thinnest lines in the upper cascades are slightly more prone to tangles than I'm used to. Other than that, the glider and accessories are simply a brilliant combination. For the experienced pilot the ability to crank up and climb out, and the impeccable behaviour with which the Syntax does it tempts you to ditch higher performance gliders. I have flown a fair selection of top end DHV1-2s and DHV2s recently, and the Syntax managed to surprise me with just how good it was. I was not the only one. Quite a few pilots I've flown with in the last week have found it difficult to reconcile this simple glider with its ability to fly so well. For the Syntax owner that difficulty turns into a delight. If I had to offer one glider to pilots of all abilities, this would be it.

Pluses:

-Safety Performance
-Ease of piloting
-Great manners on the ground
-Best all round package

Minuses:

-I could only keep it for 4 weeks...