PHI ALLEGRO. A agile, accessible & precise EN C glider

ALLEGRO
Test Allegro 22 (90 -110) loaeded at 104kg
Harness: Wani Light
Tested int : Mont Lachat, le Grand Bornand (FRANCE)
Time flew : 7h
A agile,
accessible & precise
EN C glider.
TEST ALLEGRO 22
Let’s start from the beginning:
THE DESIGN, LOOK AND
CONSTRUCTION FINISH.
The Allegro is the first EN C glider
from PHI, it has been designed by
the famous Hannes papesh. This
glider aims to be accessible with an
aspect ratio of 6.
The rods are relatively short which
allows a compact packing.
The line cone is surprising for the
level of performance of the glider.
Indeed the lower part of the
lines is sheathed which facilitates
disentangling and handling of the
lines.
Disclaimer : I apologize if the english translation
isn’t perfect. If you are an anglophone reader feel
free to let me know if there is a need to improve
the english version !
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Now let’s get to the heart of the matter:
THE BEHAVIOR OF THE GLIDER.
Unfortunately, I was not able to practice
ground handling long enough with correct
conditions to get a precise opinion but i
have a mixed feeling ... For me the ground
handling behaviour is the only weakness
I found.
The first impression reminds me the
behavior of the Tenor light with a fragile
leading edge that pinches when you pull
a little too much the A lines. Thus, if the
pilot pulls the A a little too much it doesn’t
collapse, but the upper and lower surfaces
approach, partially closing the cells, which
disrupts the rise..
Once you get used to the extreme softness
required on the A, the glider rises softly and
linearly without any surprise acceleration.
As a result, the rise can be done smoothly
and the temporization also. Even in stronger
wind it didn’t seem to tend to overtake me
and front collapse.
The contained aspect ratio of 6 makes the
glider fairly homogeneous although roll
management may be necessary (nothing
difficult for a pilot wishing to fly under an
EN C).
On the back launch, the semi-light
conception of the Allegro (Porcher Skytex
32 fabric) combined with the relative
fragility of the leading edge when pulling
the A’s made it technical for me. Indeed it
was difficult for me to feel the rise of the
glider and it positioning.
by this first handling of the Allegro,
especially the ground handling. I’ll have to
test it more in varied conditions to specify
my opinion.
The first impressions were therefore mixed.
However, this is not the first time that a
PHI glider gave me a strange impression
on ground handling, yet, I fly a Tenor that I
love in all other aspects !
So let’s move on to what got me
interested in the PHI gliders & the
Allegro ?
THE FLIGHT BEHAVIOR.
The allegro is surprisingly damped on the
pitch axis; even on deep spiral fast exit, the
pitch control is smooth (which surprised me
because I hadn’t found this characteristic
with it little sister the Maestro).This offers
good piloting comfort, it will not be
necessary to be scare of the dive in each
thermal entry and exit.
On the roll axis, the glider is playful and
agile, I would not describe it as unstable
because its behavior is easily controlled
and a symmetrical contact on the brakes is
enough to smooth the roll effectively.
On asymmetric collapses the glider reacts
well and reinflates immediately without
noticing any tie or other complications.
In summary, I was not particularly seduced
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I also experienced an involuntary collapse when getting
out of strong thermal and the glider reacted healthily by
instantly reopening without changing course (a warning
for a positioning mistake).
The ears are easy to pull on and to maintain thanks to
the dedicated A-riser. They are stable and do not flap, the
reinflation is ease with a light pumping on the brakes.
One of the selling points of the Allegro is the accelerated
speed.
On the first bar it doesn’t seem to add more speed than
on another glider. However, it does not affect the structure
of the glider which remains very comfortable and stable.
On the other hand, on full bar, the acceleration and speed
achieved are impressive. There is a real feeling of speed
and glide.
Once again, the comfort of the glider, even at full bar is
surprising!
I was able to play serenely with the entire speed range
of the Allegro during my cross-country, a significant asset
when it comes to looking for performance.
Although the risers do not have handles for piloting with
the C risers, the linkage system between the B and C offers
a comfortable hand position; reassuring contact and good
piloting efficiency.
I am particularly demanding in terms of handling, which is
for me one of the most important criteria in choosing my
glider: I want to have a turn that allows me to set the glider
quickly and precisely wherever I want.
On this point I was not disappointed for a single second,
even in the middle of the PTV range, the turn was precise,
intuitive and pleasant. The brake is light on 2/3 of the
travel then harder on the 3 rd tier. The glider turns efficiently
as soon as the brake is applied.
The turn can be flat even on shorts turns radius if you keep
a small amount of outside brake.
When you use more of the brake range, it is easy to set
the glider on the edge: but it doesn’t tend to dive down
towards the ground, which is perfect for climbing in the
core of powerful thermals.
The icing on the cake was discovered during my second
and third thermal flights. I was conquered by a feeling of
support on the stabs, as if the wing tips offered a palpable
support on the air mass, allowing to correct the turn at any
time and transmitting informations on our position in the
thermal, awesome!
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While thermalling I found no inertia; the glider bites into the
thermals by the leading edge, giving the sensation of being
sucked into the lift. Thus, entering thermals does not create
pitch mouvements, allowing to keep enough speed and
energy to effectively initiate a turn at all times.
In addition to having this big advantage of not suffering from
the inertia created by the nose-up movement, the suction
sensation gives excellent feedback on the air mass by gently
pulling us towards the center of the lift. .
Finally, as you will have already understood, the feedbacks
given by the Allegro are excellent. The Allegro transmits
and translates air mass informations into intuitive piloting
sensations..
Regarding the performance, the Allegro has a very good
glide, making the transitions easy and quick. This glide
allows an average climb rate in bubbling thermals or to fly
efficiently on long edges.
The combination of glide, passive safety, handling,
accelerated comfort and the transmission of information
about the air are all qualities that approach the perfect
balance to make the most of what the air has to offer us.
Conclusion ?
IT’S A CRUSH !
Despite the small reservation about the ground handling
that I will have to dig, the Allegro successfully fulfills all my
criteria.
À PROPOS DE L’AUTEUR
Jonathan Malvoisin, child from Saint Hilaire in
France (where the famous Coupe Icare stands),
began to play on ground handling at the age of
8 with his friends. He did his first solo fly at 14
with the « Little blues » generation.
Since then he flies between 60 and more than
100 hours per year, mainly cross country flights in
the northern Alps although he enjoys discovering
new spots as soon as the opportunity arises...
He enjoys trying new gliders whenever he can
and has a fine and precise lecture of what he
expects. He is passionate and he thoroughly
studies the qualities and defects of each material.
Laurent Drouot
I immediately felt comfortable, safe and efficient under this
new EN C which will certainly follow me on great adventures!
Jonathan Malvoisin
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