Nova ION 6 Light (PAST MODEL)

Technical data

Colours

Standard colours: Blue, Lime, Red

Custom colours: Choose your colours and email us the custom colour reference with your order.

Package

• NOVA Rucksack
• NOVA Stuff Sack
• NOVA Riser Bag
• Manual
• Repair kit
• NOVA windsock
• Speed system

Options

• Risers: Light, Standard

The risers of the ION 6 Light differ significantly from the previous models and are only 7 mm wide, instead of 12 mm. However, diligent workmanship guarantees a high load capacity comparable to wider risers. The thinner risers have many advantages. They mean less drag and therefore an increase in performance. And they ensure a weight reduction of 100 g. In addition, the flat webbing riser is easier to handle than the "shoelace risers", which often feature on very weight-reduced wings. The riser is skinny, but does not have a tendency to twist. Please note: if you would prefer the wider risers on the ION 6, this is not a problem. You can select which risers you want when ordering your wing.

ION 6 Light – always up for flying

• Three-liner
• cells: 51 cells
• aspect ratio: 5.19 flat
• weight: 3.9 kg - size S
• EN/LTF B

Whether you plan to hike & fly, local soaring or even an ambitious cross-country flight - as soon as the sun shines, the ION 6 Light puts you right at the front and top. A high degree of passive safety comes as standard.

Ready for anything. The ION 6 Light includes everything you would expect from a real all-round glider: precise handling and maximum performance with a high level of passive safety. Since many glorious cross-country flights start with a walk up the mountain, it is also light (3.9 kg/size S) and can be packed particularly small. Its design mirrors the ION 6, whilst using special light materials and narrower risers. This saves weight - the "Light" is a full 800 grams (size S) lighter than the standard version - and the glider, neatly packed in the waterproof Compression Bag, has a volume of only 19 litres.

Less drag. The risers of the ION 6 Light differ significantly from the previous models and are only 7 mm wide, instead of 12 mm. However, diligent workmanship guarantees a high load capacity comparable to wider risers. The thinner risers have many advantages. They mean less drag and therefore an increase in performance. And they ensure a weight reduction of 100 g. In addition, the flat webbing riser is easier to handle than the "shoelace risers", which often feature on very weight-reduced wings. The riser is skinny, but does not have a tendency to twist. Please note: if you would prefer the wider risers on the ION 6, this is not a problem. You can select which risers you want when ordering your wing.

Overview included. Both the risers and the lines of the ION 6 Light are an asset during launch preparation and ground handling. Coloured markings on the risers clearly indicate right and left and this is continued on the brake handles and hang points on our harnesses. This makes it easy to check one is hooked in correctly. Line sorting is also easy, because the ION 6 Light has sheathed main, brake and stabilo lines and follows the colour scheme recommended by the PMA: A – red, B – yellow, C – blue, brake – orange, stabilo line – green. This means the lines are identical to the ones used on the ION 6.

Lots of attention to detail. When designing the ION 6 and ION 6 Light, everything from the previous ION series was re-examined and only the features which proved to be a 100% hit were retained. The result is shorter lines than on the previous model and a reduced curvature, i.e. a "flatter" canopy. This increases the roll damping and ensures stable flight. Due to the short lines, and despite the high roll damping, the ION 6 Light reacts precisely to brake inputs - and the pilot can feel what is happening above them without delay. Another consequence of the reduced curvature is the increased projected aspect ratio (3.84) compared to the ION 5 Light (3.52). In contrast, the flat aspect ratio increased only marginally, by only 0.6%.

XC in your comfort zone. Feeling comfortable even on long flights begins with a familiarity between pilot and paraglider. This comes with experience, but is also aided by the finely tuned flight characteristics of the glider. The ION 6 Light inflates reliably even in light winds and, typical for lightweight paragliders, even with only moderate pulling force. Once in the air, flat turns are easy and in tight turns it will only spiral if you decide to. So you can make the most of even the weakest of thermals. And talking of making the most of it, if you need to get quickly from A to B, the speed-system fulfills its promise. Additionally, the following features provide performance that you will feel from the first flight: mini-ribs with internal seams, Mini-Rib Vector Tape and 3D Shaping at the leading edge.

Play it safe. Countless take offs and landings, vol biv flights and trips have left their mark? Don’t worry - even fine dirt inside the glider is easily removed, because with the ION 6 Light it slides along the trailing edge to the wingtips - to the specially designed outlets. Any greater damage that requires repair is covered by NOVA Protect, which is valid for one year after purchase and insures against the cost of accidental damage (excess 50 euros + shipping and VAT). We replace lines or damaged panels and check the trim of your glider after repair. Everything so you can do what you love to do again as soon as possible… flying.

Pilot target group

The ION 6 Light is suitable for gifted beginners (in countries where an EN B may be used for instruction), as well as recreational pilots and experienced pilots with cross-country ambitions who value a small packing volume and little weight. Thanks to its high level of passive safety, the ION 6 Light is a great introduction to EN B gliders and allows relaxed flying - without having to forego plenty of performance for cross-country flights. Regarding the slim risers, when changing from standard to "light" risers, we always recommend the pre-flight inspection includes carefully checking that there are no twists in the risers and you are correctly clipped in.

Quote from Fabian Gasteiger (NOVA test pilot):

"Right from launch the ION 6 Light is unbeatable: whether it’s light or strong wind... it is very easy to inflate, stays above you and does not tend to overshoot. This, together with a relaxed flight feeling and plenty of XC potential, makes it the ideal companion for me on my vol biv tours - especially in thermic conditions."

Short and compact 

3D-Shaping. In addition to the standard 3D Shaping there is a Zig-zag 3D Shaping seam on each cell. The advantage is that this seam doesn’t run in the direction of the spanwise force. This means the seam runs more cleanly and is more aerodynamically advantageous. This innovation reduces the creases in the leading edge.

Mini-Ribs. Mini-ribs increase the number of cells in the rear wing area and thus provide an aerodynamically optimised trailing edge. The necessary seams are on the inside. The mini-ribs also help to keep the brake pressure moderate.

Mini-Rib Vector Tape. An additional vector tape runs through slots in the mini-ribs. This tape reduces the crease that is created when braking. This markedly increases climb performance and improves handling. Additionally, there is a brake gathering system on the trailing edge. These features mean the ION 6 Light has a beautiful, smooth trailing edge, even when the brakes are applied.

Dirt outlet. On some paragliders the profile ribs and mini-ribs reach all the way back to the trailing edge - but on the ION 6 Light the profile ribs end before the trailing edge. This results in a 2 cm wide gap. Fine dirt inside the glider slides bit by bit to the wingtips where it can be removed through the specially designed outlets.

Extra slim risers. The risers of the ION 6 Light are made from 7 mm wide Kevlar webbing and have a built-in wing twist adjustment, which shortens the A3 line less than A1 and A2 during acceleration. This increases the stability of the wing during accelerated flight.

Weight-optimised cloth. We only use the highest quality cloths in all our wings, and we not only test the cloth for durability (high porosity or reduced tear resistance through UV damage or wear) but also for mechanical robustness, for example stretching. For quality control purposes we regularly take samples during serial production.

Weight comparison ION 6 vs. ION 6 Light

Technology

Comfort on the ground. All NOVA paragliders are made to be easy to use. For packing you can use a concertina bag, but it is not essential. Our extensive experience with rods has taught us that the packing method has little influence on the durability of the wing. Bent rods quickly spring back into their original shape.

Under pressure. NOVA Air Scoop is an optimised air intake, which increases the internal wing pressure. NOVA's Air Scoop principle is similar to the ram-air inlet duct on a sports car: increased airflow produces higher pressure. Higher internal pressure in a paraglider means improved performance through increased structural stability and collapse resistance.

Shaped in top form. In 3D-shaping, a seam on the upper surface extends over the entire span and reduces the amount of folds caused by the curvature over two axes. Two axes, because the sail cloth has to align to the profile form and the ballooning also determines a radius which the cloth also has to follow.

Mini-Rib Vector Tape. A vector tape near the trailing edge has various advantages. Firstly, this tape reduces the crease in the upper surface that is created when braking. Secondly, the wing is more compact, i.e. the wing deforms less during glides in moving air. To maximise both these advantages, it was necessary to locate this vector tape very far back in the area of the mini-ribs.

Zig-Zag 3D-Shaping. In addition to the standard 3D Shaping there is a Zig-zag 3D Shaping seam on each cell. The advantage is that this seam doesn’t run in the direction of the spanwise force. This means the seam runs more cleanly and is more aerodynamically advantageous. This innovation reduces the creases in the leading edge.

Materials

Flybubble review

The Ion 6 light is Nova's lightweight version of the Ion 6.

Our review of the Nova Ion 6:

“ The pilots that ION 6 is aimed at are one ambitious beginners. The other target pilot group is pilots looking for their second glider upgrading from their A class glider. And/or also pilots who are regular pilots who've been flying for a while and just aren't flying so regularly nowadays and just want something safe with very good performance. I have found that the ION 6 does indeed turn quite a bit flatter than its predecessor. It's got that tendency and if you hold on the brake, the glider will turn nicely. It won't tend to go down and go into that spirally tight turn.

On launch the ION 6 is very easy, it's absolute classic low B. Very easy to come up in all conditions. In the stronger conditions you need to hold the glider down a bit more. It's good fun to play with and easy to kite. I feel that the ION 6 prefers a little bit to be loaded and not too low in the weight range. Probably, at least a third of the weight.

In the air, the ION 6 has a very comfortable, very reassuring feeling. Both because the glider is very solid and collapsed resistant. It gives you some feedback, but it's kind of a little bit dampened, but it's kind of a little bit dampened. The glider stays pretty nicely above your head too. So in that way the pilot demands are very low and the comfort factor are very high. I found that the ION 6 actually climbs really well for a low B glider. You're able to turn nicely into thermals. It turns nice and flat, it's more efficient too. So that combination of the reasonably nimble handling and the pitch stability, and the good climb rate means that it climbs very well in thermals even in the weaker stuff, which is good. The speed system in ION 6 is pretty typical for a low B glider so it gives you a nice increase of speed of around 10 kilometres an hour over trim. The glide still keeps pretty well, but it does drop off a little bit, in still air, so you notice the glide angle is going down but it's actually surprisingly efficient for a low B. The ION 6, like, a lot of low B's nowadays has really good performance and very good on bar. And because the bar is so solid, and efficient, and usable, you feel like you can use the whole range. The brake pressure is moderate, it's neither light or heavy. Is relatively short for a low B, kind of easy handling and the turns. The stall point is perfect for the low B class. Very forgiving and very obvious.

In summary, the ION 6 is a very well made low B wing that's perfectly pitched for the class. It offers very easy launch in all conditions, very high passive safety, and a high comfort factor, yet with excellent performance. ION 6 has the relatively nimble handling, also the good feedback, that means it's also very pleasurable to fly and has a good fun factor."

— Carlo Borsattino, Flybubble

Watch the Flybubble video review:

Other reviews

"The construction and finishing details are excellent! It is easy to launch the Ion 6 ... Smooth rise with no surge or delay. In the air, the brake travel is relatively short ... to react but long and forgiving if pulled.

I flew in some strong and turbulent air and the very high comfort under the Ion 6 delivers an immense feel of passive safety. The feedback under the ION 6 is accurate but very polite! delivering a comfortable ride with the necessary feedback to enjoy every moment.

Usually, I find some low B gliders to be boring by the very restricted and dull feel under them. But not under the Ion 6, which gave me the pleasure I needed to fly it with a relaxed smile.

The gliding power of that low B is surprisingly good for achieving long XC’s. I had some low saves also, and the accurate brakes helped a lot in getting the weak ones. The ION 6 climbs also well. Ears are stable, efficient, and reopen alone.

Conclusion: I think NOVA managed to create an impressive package of “performance, comfort, pleasure” in a single glider. I’m mostly certain that in some good XC days, the pilot under the Ion 6 will achieve his goal while having fun, and still with plenty of energy left in him. Test flying the ION 6 XS could be highly addictive!"

- Ziad Bassil, Dust of the universe (full review)

Nova service info & FAQ

Read Nova service info and answers to FAQ.

Downloads

• Presentation
• Manual
• Lineplan

Freeflight certification (EN/LTF):

• XXS Certification
• XS Certification
• S Certification
• M Certification 
• L Certification

Motor certification (DGAC):

• Motor