PHI ALLEGRO light

Technical data

Weight ranges

Colours

Standard colours: CC1 (White-Blue), CC2 (Orange-Black), CC3 (Purple-Lime), CC4 (Lime-Black)

Package

• Wing
• concertina bag
• repair material

ALLEGRO light: Super light, super fast and extremely exciting!

The ALLEGRO light of course has the genes and thereby the speed and performance of the ALLEGRO. Furthermore it has a reduced rigging (2 main lines) and a reduced internal structure to minimize weight. In combination with the new semilight riser (R07) it is offering a “game changing” flying experience.

Designer's note

The ALLEGRO light is completely new, calculated and designed on the base of the ALLEGRO. There are some differences in rigging, ballooning, wing curve and wing statics. The result is an extraordinary superlight C wing. Finally we all are very pleased with the new semilight R07 riser: Only with this riser is it possible to experience the full potential of this wing: an optimal combination.

- Hannes Papesh

Technical features

Even through the ALLEGRO light is based on the ALLEGRO, it is not just the same wing in light cloth. During plenty of development stages, the internal structure has been optimized towards the goal to have a rigid and ultralight wing. The most obvious difference is that the ALLEGRO light has only 2 main lines in wingspan direction (versus 3 of the ALLEGRO).

The base behaviour of the ALLEGRO is similar to that of the his heavier brother ALLEGRO: both are very fast in max speed, showing an impressive performance.

Because of the lighter canopy, the ALLEGRO light is a little more “communicative” and soft in extreme manoeuvres. The combination of the ALLEGRO light and the new R07 riser with an unique ergonomic C handle position offers a new flying sensation. The test pilots were excited: now it’s on you to try!

Flybubble review

"The ALLEGRO light is the light EN/LTF C certified sports class wing from Phi. Based on Phi's refined lightweight technology, the ALLEGRO light offers exceptional handling and very good performance (especially speed) at low weight and small pack volume. Pilot demands are at the lower end of the C class, with performance rivalling more demanding, mid C wings. However the standout 'feature' of the ALLEGRO light is the exceptionally responsive and agile handling (as with the Phi ALLEGRO, MAESTRO and MAESTRO light). In combination with the new semilight R07 risers, the ALLEGRO light offers a fantastic and outstandingly fun flying experience!"

— Carlo Borsattino, Flybubble

Watch the Flybubble video review:

"The Allegro is a sports class wing with pilot demands that are in the lower end of the C-class bracket. It's great for launching in all winds, from nil wind to strong winds.

The Allegro is also excellent for kiting. It has a very nice control, great for kiting back up the hill, which I do quite a lot on our little hills. I enjoy that aspect. So it's brilliant for that. For the class, the Allegro is relatively easy both on the ground and in the air.

The Allegro is very agile. It's an exceptionally nimble glider.

An important point about the handling is that whilst some gliders turn very flat, and are very efficient, they are a bit slow and sluggish. Some other gliders turn quickly and are responsive but they tend to roll a lot and be inefficient. So the challenge for any designer is to get a glider that turns nimbly and is agile and responds but is still efficient and turns flatter. I think the Allegro does that absolutely brilliantly.

If you hit a punchy core, and you just want to turn right on that core, then you can do that right off on the Allegro. The glider doesn't have a tendency to pitch back a lot. It does a little bit. There's a bit of pitch back, but there isn't much delay. There's a short pitch, then the glider bites in nicely. You can turn the Allegro very flat and efficient but very tight as well.

If you really want to bank the glider around, you can just stuff the brake a bit harder and the glider will bank up some more. Then with just a bit of outer brake you can make the glider turn flat again. So there's a really great degree of control there.

The Allegro isn't a very "floaty" glider. It's more trimmed for speed and agility In terms of the feedback from the wing, the Allegro is actually pretty solid. The sail doesn't move about and "jellyfish" around or anything. It's pretty solid. But it definitely does communicate to you. It's quite "feedbacky". It tells you what's going on in the air.

So, if you're a pilot that just wants a real steady calm glider that just sits above your head, and doesn't talk to you much, then this probably isn't the glider for you. But if you're a pilot that loves good communication or plenty of feedback, so that you can feel what's going on, and you know how the air is, without being overtly yappy and chatty, then you're going to love the Allegro!

In terms of playfulness for wingovers and dolphining - a bit of wagga, joy of swooping - the Allegro is almost like a mini wing, it's so fun to fly!

In terms of performance, the Allegro is pretty equal with any of the current good mid C gliders. The Allegro is a bit faster. It's a bit more tuned for speed, particularly when you use the speed system. When you use the speed bar, just in the first third you definitely really feel the glider picking up a good amount of speed.

On full speed bar I was picking up on average around 20 km an hour, which is pretty impressive for a low C wing. Gliding next to other wings showed me this glider is quick, there's no doubt about it. For a low C wing, it's faster than most of the mid C wings, and keeping up with the high C wings.

If you're a pilot looking to move up from the high B class but not wanting much higher pilot demands then the Allegro is a perfect option for you. If you want to upgrade from your high B wing but you don't want to go too high into the C class then the Allegro is a perfect upgrade for you, especially if you like very nimble and agile handling!

Also, if you're a pilot that's been flying higher C class gliders, or even D class gliders, and you want to move down to something safer but you find the B class gliders a little bit too low for what you want - you want a bit more than that - then the Allegro is also a perfect choice."

— Carlo Borsattino, Flybubble

"Launching the Allegro in a soarable wind, I found it light and easy to control with no tendency to shoot up or hang back. In the air the Allegro feels nimble and responsive but not overly aggressive. It has a fun and fast feeling. With the longer, optional R07 risers fitted I sometimes felt I wanted to raise my hands so that no brake was applied. Resting my hands on the C handles is a very comfortable position. Even applying only half speed-bar I noticed a significant difference in speed, which really made me smile! My vario GPS showed an extra 10k per hour and a pilot flying an older sports wing later commented how much I pulled away from him! Applying the speed bar is light and smooth and the C handles work brilliantly for fine adjustment and extra control.  To summarise, the Allegro is a fun and fast sports wing and a top contender for pilots who enjoy agile handling."

— Nancy Elliott, Flybubble

Watch the Flybubble video review of Phi Allegro:

Other reviews

"Conclusion: The Allegro X-Alps [sic] with its Harmonica bag can be packed small due to fewer rods inside that glider. A cool companion for hike and XC fly. I think loading the X-Alps version will be best for a more compact feel, as the original could be flown at mid-range easily. Try both versions to see your preference." "The C steering is quite efficient and the feel of a pressurized C handle like on a 2 liner! I could stop the glider surges efficiently with that C steering. A very powerful tool!"

— Ziad Bassil, Dustoftheuniverse (full review)

Pilot feedback

"What a glider! Agile, responsive to small inputs, especially weight shift. Stable and FAST. C riser steering is great! Speed bar is easy. Into wind gliding is incredible." - happy ALLEGRO owner

"Very good, agile, fast. Very good glide and easy to fly." - happy ALLEGRO owner

Material

Porcher Skytex 27

Risers

Semilight C Handle R07

See Phi risers