should I buy a 1978 cessna 172n or a 2006 allegro lsa
Moderator: drseti
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allegroboy
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2011 5:49 pm
- Location: skokie Illinois
never really gave much thought as to how long i would keep my medical but since im only 40 i will probably have it quite a while yet. usually it will only be me flying so dont need 3 extra seats, but might be nice to have. i drive a suv that gets 8 mpg so not real worried about fuel economy. the allegro seems to fly nice only thing i found unusual was the "joystick" in place of the usual yoke. that may take a little time to get used to
allegro lsa
Best advice I can give is try to get some time doing takeoffs and landings in the Allegro. Don't just take a demo ride and "try flying it"
Talk to other owners about the maintenance needs.
If all is well then you know what you are getting.
As for the 172,
The O-320H engine is fine. Run Aeroshell 15W-50 oil or 100+ with the Lycoming additive as part of the oil. Even without the T mod they run to TBO and beyond. I've had several at 2300 hours. After the early failures in the late 70's they decided to add the oil additive and it fixed the problem.
Inactivity is what kills them. That's why they overhauled it with such low hours. It's a good thing.
Questions I would ask:
What year was the overhaul done
Who did the overhaul
Were all the accessories overhauled also
Was the airplane painted at the same time? If so was a log entry made for control surface balance check.
Were the engine mount rubbers, fuel line hoses replaced
were the baffles cleaned up if needed during the engine change
It all points to how much care was given during the work.
What you don't want to get is an airplane that was tied outside on the coast and rotting away for 30+ years, the owner finally died and they auctioned it off.
New owner painted the plastic, polished the paint and flip that plane.
The fact that they overhauled the engine is a step in the right direction.
I would be very skeptical if it were not overhauled.
If it was a hangared dry climate airplane that was sitting until the new owner installed an engine then it may be very worth looking at. Price out some slide in replacement nav/com's and a GPS to make up a radio package and you have a very capable airplane.
The 1979 N is one of my favorite years. It has the preselect flaps and good panel layout. A 180 hp conversion with gross weight increase to 2550 and factory long range fuel is my favorite.
Later airplanes they changed the aileron linkage and I did not like the feel as much.
Talk to other owners about the maintenance needs.
If all is well then you know what you are getting.
As for the 172,
The O-320H engine is fine. Run Aeroshell 15W-50 oil or 100+ with the Lycoming additive as part of the oil. Even without the T mod they run to TBO and beyond. I've had several at 2300 hours. After the early failures in the late 70's they decided to add the oil additive and it fixed the problem.
Inactivity is what kills them. That's why they overhauled it with such low hours. It's a good thing.
Questions I would ask:
What year was the overhaul done
Who did the overhaul
Were all the accessories overhauled also
Was the airplane painted at the same time? If so was a log entry made for control surface balance check.
Were the engine mount rubbers, fuel line hoses replaced
were the baffles cleaned up if needed during the engine change
It all points to how much care was given during the work.
What you don't want to get is an airplane that was tied outside on the coast and rotting away for 30+ years, the owner finally died and they auctioned it off.
New owner painted the plastic, polished the paint and flip that plane.
The fact that they overhauled the engine is a step in the right direction.
I would be very skeptical if it were not overhauled.
If it was a hangared dry climate airplane that was sitting until the new owner installed an engine then it may be very worth looking at. Price out some slide in replacement nav/com's and a GPS to make up a radio package and you have a very capable airplane.
The 1979 N is one of my favorite years. It has the preselect flaps and good panel layout. A 180 hp conversion with gross weight increase to 2550 and factory long range fuel is my favorite.
Later airplanes they changed the aileron linkage and I did not like the feel as much.
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allegroboy
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2011 5:49 pm
- Location: skokie Illinois
Great! Enjoy it, but be sure to get a very thorough checkout from a CFI who knows that plane well. (It took me about five hours to transition to LSA). Remember, no matter how many thousands of hours you may have, when you acquire a new airplane, you become a student pilot all over again.allegroboy wrote:i think i will be purchasing the allegro possibly by tomorrow.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
Hi
I have mixed opinions of the O320H engine. if flown often and never started cold and the A.D. regarding the addition of the anti wear additive as well as oil filter inspecion is carried out (Its been while for me but I blieve the AD says to cut open and inspect the filter and if ANY ferrus metal is found, inspect the camshaft and hydraulic lifters) That engine also has the dual mag. one drive, drives both magnetos. If I recall there are AD's on this as well.
If properly flown and maintained, this engine is capable of achieving 2800hours, between overhauls. I know I was there. however several cam lifters were replaced due to the smallest amount of corrosion, you almost could not see it with the bare eye, but I believe the AD said to replace them if there was any signs of damage and corrosion.
I have limited experience with the Rotex so cannot comment, other then to say I have heard they have come along way in reliability.
I have mixed opinions of the O320H engine. if flown often and never started cold and the A.D. regarding the addition of the anti wear additive as well as oil filter inspecion is carried out (Its been while for me but I blieve the AD says to cut open and inspect the filter and if ANY ferrus metal is found, inspect the camshaft and hydraulic lifters) That engine also has the dual mag. one drive, drives both magnetos. If I recall there are AD's on this as well.
If properly flown and maintained, this engine is capable of achieving 2800hours, between overhauls. I know I was there. however several cam lifters were replaced due to the smallest amount of corrosion, you almost could not see it with the bare eye, but I believe the AD said to replace them if there was any signs of damage and corrosion.
I have limited experience with the Rotex so cannot comment, other then to say I have heard they have come along way in reliability.
Theres Money in Aviaition, I know, I put it there!
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allegroboy
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2011 5:49 pm
- Location: skokie Illinois
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ArionAv8or
- Posts: 271
- Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 11:42 am
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Jack Tyler
- Posts: 1380
- Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:49 pm
- Location: Prescott AZ
- Contact:
Since "we're celebrating", thought I'd add Jim Lawrence's comment just posted on the Plane & Pilot blog on the plane purchased and the company who's now making them for the USA:
"Good news from Allegro LSA’s head honcho Doug Hempstead, as he spoke with our publisher Mike McMann.
Allegro, now a solely-American made, composite/aluminum S-LSA (my flight report is due out soon in the magazine) told Mike he expects to hire as many as 35 workers within the next year. These are jobs that were formerly held by Czech Republic personnel.
Allegro is a Czech-designed airplane (Fantasy Air) that, like so many LSA, was built in Czech Republic and assembled, test flown and delivered in the States.
Doug and his wife Betty bought the rights to produce the airplane here and production is now underway at the company's Sanford, NC plant.
More than 450 of the Kevlar-composite fuselage/aluminum wing Allegros have been sold since 1994, most overseas. The Hempsteads hope to change that proportion...and employ more Americans in the process.
Three Allegro models are offered: Classic Trainer at $89,000 (also configurable as an IFR trainer), Voyager at $94,000 (adds things like MGL Voyager EFIS, Garmin radio and transponder and vertical card compass), and Executive at $99,000 (adds two Dynon Skyview Synthetic Vision panels and Garmin GPS 500).
Those are highly competitive prices for a composite ship with lots of high-tech extras. It's an excellent airplane that fulfills a lot of missions from trainer to cross-country cruiser. "
"Good news from Allegro LSA’s head honcho Doug Hempstead, as he spoke with our publisher Mike McMann.
Allegro, now a solely-American made, composite/aluminum S-LSA (my flight report is due out soon in the magazine) told Mike he expects to hire as many as 35 workers within the next year. These are jobs that were formerly held by Czech Republic personnel.
Allegro is a Czech-designed airplane (Fantasy Air) that, like so many LSA, was built in Czech Republic and assembled, test flown and delivered in the States.
Doug and his wife Betty bought the rights to produce the airplane here and production is now underway at the company's Sanford, NC plant.
More than 450 of the Kevlar-composite fuselage/aluminum wing Allegros have been sold since 1994, most overseas. The Hempsteads hope to change that proportion...and employ more Americans in the process.
Three Allegro models are offered: Classic Trainer at $89,000 (also configurable as an IFR trainer), Voyager at $94,000 (adds things like MGL Voyager EFIS, Garmin radio and transponder and vertical card compass), and Executive at $99,000 (adds two Dynon Skyview Synthetic Vision panels and Garmin GPS 500).
Those are highly competitive prices for a composite ship with lots of high-tech extras. It's an excellent airplane that fulfills a lot of missions from trainer to cross-country cruiser. "
Jack
Flying in/out KBZN, Bozeman MT in a Grumman Tiger
Do you fly for recreational purposes? Please visit http://www.theraf.org
Flying in/out KBZN, Bozeman MT in a Grumman Tiger
Do you fly for recreational purposes? Please visit http://www.theraf.org
That post is largely copied to his own blog (whence the picture was hotlinked, tsk tsk):
http://light-sport-hangar-flyin.blogspo ... style.html
http://light-sport-hangar-flyin.blogspo ... style.html
O by the way... That picture is of MY ALLEGRO 2000..(Prior to me owning it) My empty weight is 647 lbs. Most Allegro 2000's were limited to 1232 the original weight thought to be the LSA max when imported. Allegro 2007's are 1320..
Owner of N3081X (Cover Girl) A Beautiful Allegro 2000 as seen on the cover and inside of several magazines!!
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allegroboy
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2011 5:49 pm
- Location: skokie Illinois
the weather in illinois this spring has not been conductive to flying much, but i have been able to fly my allegro a few times and enjoy it alot. got a chance to fly a 2008 cessna 172sp with the garmin g1000 flight deck last saturday. although i really enjoy my allegro that is paid in full if i can find $200,000.00 i wouldnt mind the 2008 172sp but that is alot of money to spend when my allegro does what i want it to however i like the g1000 flight deck..... wonder if that can be installed in the allegro....
allegro lsa