November 2007 Feature Story:
Flying the Allegro 2007

Story and photos by Jim Hartley

The Light Sport revolution is well underway. When the most basic of traditional factory aircraft—the Cessna 172 is a great example—cost nearly a quarter of a million dollars, the marketplace will find a way to respond. Some of the best of the light sport aircraft cost less than half that amount. As the owner of a Cessna 172 that rolled out of the Wichita factory doors when LBJ was president, the longing for a new aircraft, with new radios, a new engine and new technology is never far from my mind. Granted, when I bought my airplane it was nowhere near a quarter-mil, but with an engine overhaul in the near future plus the value of my airframe and radios, I am not all that far away from the price of a new LSA.

Lanny Terry of Light Sport Aviation of Texas invited me to fly with him in a new Allegro 2007. The Allegro has been in production in the Czech Republic for a number of years and is in service in more than 20 countries around the globe. With an incrementally improved airframe now offering more height, a wider cockpit and other improvements generated by owner feedback, the Allegro 2007 is noticeably different from its predecessor, the Allegro 2000.

A classic high-wing design, the Allegro has two side-by-side seats, a spacious cockpit and panoramic views through its large Lexan doors and overhead. The T-tail, fixed tricycle gear and steerable nose wheel along with the Allegro’s aerodynamicly shaped, Kevlar composite fuselage and clean, gel-coated surface help the airplane look strong and modern. The wing, tail plane and rudder are of all-metal construction and also appear to be strong and durable. In comparing the Allegro 2007 to its predecessor, the Allegro 2000, the fit and finish and overall workmanship are noticeably improved, and the small changes in size and height make the 2007 seem more impressive.

Lanny and I flew on one of our Texas Gulf Coast days where the humidity and temperature were both trying for a hundred (Of course we flew in the afternoon). The dramatic visibility made possible by acres of Plexiglas comes at a price: It’s hot in the Allegro, at least on the ground. One approaches the Allegro backwards; that is hind-portion first. With the extra-wide doors well out of the way, all you do is sit down in the airplane and swing your legs in. It has a center control stick so nothing is in the way. The seat is adjustable, best done before entering, both fore and aft as well as up and down. The shoulder harness combines with the seat belt to form a superior restraint system. It will take a new Allegro pilot a little time to get everything adjusted for comfort and reach. At first the instrument panel, radios and switches seem a little far away. Little things like the location of the trim lever overhead and left of the pilot, and the center control stick, seem awkward at first but soon feel natural.

Once ensconced in the Allegro the start routine is simple. Check to make sure everything is inside, switch on and start. No mixture, no mag check, just start and go. Ground handling is precise and easy with the steerable nose wheel. No toe brakes in the Allegro; the brakes are controlled with a motorcycle-like single lever on the control stick. With the effectiveness of the nose wheel steering, and the relatively small size of the airplane, differential braking isn’t missed. The parking brake control, used more frequently without toe-brakes to stand on, seemed awkward and poorly positioned, again something that a few hours’ experience would probably cure.

With the GPS and transponder set and everything else in order, we took the runway for my first flight. My personal policy in other people’s airplanes is that they make the first takeoff so that I can see how they do it. The Rotax came smoothly up to full power and in just a few hundred feet we were climbing away from KLVJ toward the coast. Lanny and I are both men of significant stature and the conditions were far from a standard day. Nonetheless the Allegro climbed smartly away from the airport.

It’s a roomy airplane, plenty for the two of us. We climbed up to cooler climes to try some airwork. Here is the most significant part of flying the Allegro 2007: It is a stick-and-rudder airplane! Don’t bother putting your feet on the floor; they will be needed on the rudder pedals. Inattention to the rudder will cause you to fly crab-wise through the sky. I have found the same thing in the other LSAs that I have flown. These are real airplanes with elevators, ailerons and a rudder. Use all three. The airplane is short-coupled and the controls will seem sensitive to the new Allegro pilot. In the short time I spent in the Allegro I can’t say that flying it became second nature to me. I think after a couple more hours though I could make it go where and how I want it to.

We tried some steep turns, that is, after I figured out how to make it not turn, and then some slow flight followed by a few stalls. The stalls were straight ahead with just a little nose drop. Application of power and dropping the nose caused the airplane to resume flying. In fact in my first stall I pushed the nose forward like I would in my airplane. Not needed, unless you want a roller coaster view of the earth. Correct procedure: Level nose—power up—fly!

The downhill return to the airport was easy, keeping the speed up so as to not clog things up too much. We kept about 80 in our approach to the pattern and downwind. On base we slowed to about 70 and kept it there, using flaps for altitude adjustment, until over the end of the runway. We let the speed bleed off (we landed about a thousand feet down the runway to get out from behind turbulence-causing trees beside the runway), and touched down main wheels first at about 60. (We could have done all of this a lot slower, but it’s more polite to keep the speed up so as to not unnecessarily slow everybody else down.) Almost immediately after touchdown we got both of the Allegro’s big doors open to get what little comfort we could on the hot, humid Texas afternoon.

I like the Allegro 2007. Most of the time, when I look around in my Cessna there is no one there but me. I really can’t recall the last time there were more than two people in my Skyhawk. I am burning twice as much fuel (or more) in my 172 as Lanny is in his Allegro. The Rotax 912 in the Allegro has, at present, a 1500-hour TBO, not all that different that the TBO on my O-300D. The Allegro cruises at 95 knots, again not all that different than my airplane. Honestly, I think after some time getting adjusted to the cockpit of the Allegro it would be as comfortable if not more so than my Cessna.

The Allegro will be a good aircraft for instruction. Fuel efficiency, ease of maintenance, and cockpit comfort are all great benefits for a flight school that wants to provide new, or nearly new, airplanes for instruction. The need for attention to the rudder and coordination of the controls is a good thing for new students. Yes the rudder pedals make good footrests, but if you push on them correctly, the direction you are going will be out the front window instead of the side. For the hobby pilot the Allegro delivers a real airplane, demanding real skills. It’s comfortable, fast enough to go somewhere and looks great.

Lanny says that the distribution and support network is ever-improving. Routine parts are available in two or three days from the distributor in North Carolina. Serious stuff will still come from the factory in the Czech Republic, count on two or three weeks minimum should you need something not available in the U.S. Rotax support is nationwide and efficient.

The price of an Allegro 2007 starts in the mid-seventies and where it ends up will be determined by how many items you select from the option list. There are a lot of neat items on the option list, including a BRS system, floats, leather interior, Garmin-goodies, even an engine upgrade to a 100 hp. Clearly you could really dress one up and still spend less than $90K.

Let’s see, if I sell my airplane, postpone the new pickup truck and tighten my belt just a little more….