The Guimbal Cabri G2 is a two-seat light helicopter produced by Hélicoptères Guimbal, and powered by a

reciprocating engine A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is typically a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common fea ...

. Designed by Bruno Guimbal, a former Eurocopter engineer, it had its origins in the 1980s, and the first demonstrator flew in 1992. Following the granting of regulatory approval, the Cabri entered commercial service in 2008. In addition to its use within the

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

sector and as a training rotorcraft, the Cabri G2 has also been used as the basis for

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controll ...

s (UAVs).

Development

While working at Eurocopter on the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin and

Eurocopter EC120 Colibri The Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) EC120 Colibri ("hummingbird") is a five-seat, single-engine, light utility helicopter. Jointly designed and developed by Eurocopter, China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC), Ha ...

helicopters during the 1980s, Bruno Guimbal decided to independently pursue the development of a two-seat reciprocating engine helicopter.Jerram, Mike
"Watch out, R22."
''Flying Magazine'', December 1991. p. 37.Kenyon 2008, p. 4. This rotorcraft would incorporate numerous safety-related and general technological advances commonly applied to larger turbine-powered rotorcraft, but typically absent from reciprocating-engine helicopters."The Cabri Story."
''cabri.co.nz'', Retrieved: 26 March 2016. These technologies included Eurocopter's

Fenestron A Fenestron (sometimes alternatively referred to as a fantail or a "fan-in-fin" arrangementLeishman 2006, p. 321.) is an enclosed helicopter tail rotor that operates like a ducted fan. The term ''Fenestron'' is a trademark of multinational heli ...

anti-torque shrouded tail rotor and Spheriflex main rotor, in addition to a

composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials ...

fuselage. During the early 1990s, Eurocopter elected to sponsor the program, as well as providing technical assistance during testing. In April 1992, the first prototype Cabri G2-01 conducted its maiden flight, which lasted for a total of 45 minutes. In 1996, this prototype set a world record distance for a helicopter under 500 kg, with a distance of 481.32 km. In 2000, Bruno Guimbal left Eurocopter to establish a new company, Hélicoptères Guimbal, in order to certify the Cabri G2 and to place the type into commercial production. To this end, research and production facilities were set up in Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome, France. It had originally been hoped to have the Cabri certified in 2003. In March 2005, the first production Cabri performed its first flight. Following a six-year development program and 300 hours of flight testing, the Cabri G2 received

type certification A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). It confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production, is in compliance with applic ...

from the

European Aviation Safety Agency The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) with responsibility for civil aviation safety. It carries out certification, regulation and standardisation and also performs investigation and monito ...

(EASA) in December 2007. The granting of EASA certification made the Cabri the first twin-seat reciprocating-engine helicopter to be certified in more than 30 years.Kenyon 2008, p. 9. In September 2008, production was reported to have been planned to ramp up to one a month throughout 2009, rising to two a month in 2010. In 2014, a total of 28 Cabri rotorcraft had been produced and, following a phase of manufacturing expansion, 44 Cabris were delivered in 2015 and 56 projected for 2016. It is intended for lead times between the receipt of an order and deliveries to be less than 12 months. Guimbal did not initially pursue sales in the North American market, having instead chosen to wait for demand from suitable customers to emerge and FAA approval. In February 2015, the Cabri G2 received type certification from the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...

(FAA), clearing the way for operations within the United States. By February 2016, the Cabri had received certification in 24 countries.Head, Elan
"Meet the Cabri."
''Vertical Magazine'', 26 February 2016.

Unmanned aerial vehicle

Beginning in 2003, Eurocopter and Hélicoptères Guimbal cooperated on the development of the Orka 1200, a vertical take-off and landing

(UAV) intended for military use. In June 2005, Eurocopter and Hélicoptères Guimbal formed a joint venture, known as Vertivision, to develop, market and produce unmanned variants of the Cabri G2, including prospective commercially oriented models."New JV gives Eurocopter foothold in UAV market."
''Flight International'', 14 June 2005."Vertivision to develop commercial VTOL UAVs."
''Flight International'', 28 June 2005. These UAVs reportedly make use of an advanced

autopilot An autopilot is a system used to control the path of an aircraft, marine craft or spacecraft without requiring constant manual control by a human operator. Autopilots do not replace human operators. Instead, the autopilot assists the operator' ...

system, derived from the

Eurocopter EC725 The Eurocopter EC725 Caracal, now called Airbus Helicopters H225M, is a long-range tactical transport military helicopter developed from the Eurocopter AS532 Cougar for military use. It is a twin-engined aircraft and can carry up to 28 seated t ...

; alternative powerplants are also under consideration. The Airbus Helicopters VSR700 naval UAV, powered by a 155-hp

Continental CD-155 The Thielert Centurion is a series of Diesel cycle aircraft engines for general aviation originally built by Thielert, which was bought by Aviation Industry Corporation of China's Tecnify Motors subsidiary and is currently marketed by Contin ...

, will fly as a prototype in 2018 before a 2021 introduction.

Design

The Cabri G2 is a two-seat light helicopter with a three-bladed fully articulated main rotor and a Fenestron-type tail rotor. As with most French-designed helicopters, the main rotor blades advance in a clockwise direction. The main rotor is designed to enable flight within a wide envelope of weather conditions, while the

rotor blades are damage-tolerant and have no set life span."The Cabri Difference."
''cabri.co.nz'', Retrieved: 26 March 2016."Cabri G2 Type Rating."
''Helicopter Life'', 14 September 2015. The use of the Fenestron has been credited as having made the Cabri noticeably quieter than competing rotorcraft, such as the

Sikorsky S-300 The Schweizer S300 series (formerly Hughes 300, Schweizer 300, and Sikorsky S-300) family of light utility helicopters was originally produced by Hughes Helicopters, as a development of the Hughes 269. Later manufactured by Schweizer Aircraft, ...

, in addition to its favourable safety, handling, and maneuverability attributes. The Cabri uses a skid landing gear arrangement; unusually, the skids are attached to the fuselage by elastomeric mounts rather than being directly bolted on to reduce

ground resonance Ground resonance is an imbalance in the rotation of a helicopter rotor when the blades become bunched up on one side of their rotational plane and cause an oscillation in phase with the frequency of the rocking of the helicopter on its landing gear. ...

and provide greater articulation. The fuselage features a damage-resistant all-composite monocoque construction, reducing weight and maintenance requirements while increasing strength.Kenyon 2008, p. 6. The Cabri employs a side-by-side seating arrangement for a pilot and passenger, which is also ideal for training purposes, which is an intended role for the type. Dual flight controls are typically installed; these can be removed without the aid of tools as required. The passenger seat on the left can be removed if unnecessary or for greater storage space within the cabin. Various features for personal helicopter usage, such as an externally accessible 200-litre baggage compartment, power sockets within the main cabin, leather seating, and incidental under-seat storage, are also present.Epstein, Curt
"Guimbal Makes U.S., Heli-Expo Debut."
''AIN Online'', 26 February 2014. An unusual feature of the Cabri is a remote door locking system, which includes an

immobilizer An immobiliser or immobilizer is an electronic security device fitted to a motor vehicle that prevents the engine from being started unless the correct key (''transponder'' or '' smart key'') is present. This prevents the vehicle from being " ...

function; this has been reported as being a world-first. The Cabri is also the first light helicopter to feature a plasma ignition system, the first with a glass cockpit, and the first to be certified under EASA CS-27 regulations. Available options include

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

, various

avionics Avionics (a blend of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the hundreds of systems that are fit ...

configurations,

moving map display A moving map display is a type of navigation system output that, instead of numerically displaying the current geographical coordinates determined by the navigation unit or an heading and distance indication of a certain waypoint, displays the u ...

Global Positioning System The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...

display, cargo hook, automatically deployed floatation gear, and several maintenance tooling packages.Huber, Mark
"Guimbal Enjoys Steady Growth."
''AIN Online'', 3 March 2016. G-ETWO (14367685306)

The Cabri is powered by a single

Lycoming O-360 The Lycoming O-360 is a family of four-cylinder, direct-drive, horizontally opposed, air-cooled, piston aircraft engines. Engines in the O-360 series produce between 145 and 225 horsepower (109 to 168 kW), with the basic O-360 producing ...

piston engine, which has been rated to max continuous power and 5-minute power.Kenyon 2008, p. 7. The engine incorporates a solid-state electronic ignition system which protects against over-speed upon startup and has greater reliability. The engine mounts also utilize vibration isolation techniques for increased crew comfort. The engine is positioned directly behind the cabin, making it easier to access for maintenance; while the engine exhaust is elevated above the tail boom in order to reduce noise and lower the risk of ground fires upon landing. The maintenance costs of the Cabri are claimed to be "very low", in part due to only three components on the rotorcraft being time-limited, all others being condition-limited instead. The cost per overhaul of the Cabri is half of that of comparable rotorcraft such as the

Robinson R22 The Robinson R22 is a two-seat, two-bladed, single-engine light utility helicopter manufactured by Robinson Helicopter Company. It was designed in 1973 by Frank D. Robinson, and has been in production since 1979. Development The majority of fl ...

. At the core of the Cabri's avionics is the Electronic Pilot Management (EPM) system, the digital instrumentation of the aircraft's glass cockpit. Intended to be intuitive, the EPM uses three monitors to display critical aircraft and engine information, such as current power settings, engine/rotor speed, fuel level, flight time, and sensor data. In the event of an EPM system failure, backup systems are present. Guimbal claims the Cabri G2 to be "the only piston helicopter designed from scratch with the safety of its occupants as top priority.""Safety."
''cabri.co.nz'', 26 March 2016. As such, numerous safety features are present upon the aircraft, including the design of the main rotor, a crash-worthy design, four-way

trim Trim or TRIM may refer to: Cutting * Cutting or trimming small pieces off something to remove them ** Book trimming, a stage of the publishing process ** Pruning, trimming as a form of pruning often used on trees Decoration * Trim (sewing), or ...

system, energy-absorbent structure/seats, automatic carburetor ice-protection system, crash-resistant fuel tank, and exceptional

autorotation Autorotation is a state of flight in which the main rotor system of a helicopter or other rotary-wing aircraft turns by the action of air moving up through the rotor, as with an autogyro, rather than engine power driving the rotor. Bensen, Ig ...

capabilities. During development, the safety, security, longevity aspects of the design were emphasized over the cost. The Cabri G2 is one of only a handful of helicopters that fully complies with the

FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

's crash-resistant fuel system (CRFS) safety standards of the

Federal Aviation Regulations The Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) are rules prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) governing all aviation activities in the United States. The FARs comprise Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). A wide variety ...

and is the only piston engine helicopter that made this list.

Operational history

On 19 September 2008, the first production aircraft was officially delivered to iXAir, a French training operator, during a ceremony at Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome; this aircraft being the first of an order of 10."Helicopteres Guimbal delivers first production Cabri G2."
''Shepard Media'', 19 September 2008. Precision Helicopters of Newberg, Oregon, which is also an overseas distributor for the Cabri, served as the launch customer for the North American market, having received its first Cabri in February 2014. Following its national debut in 2011, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

soon emerged as one of the major operating nations of the type, having 14 Cabris in service with various operators by February 2016; this was projected to reach 28 by the end of 2016. In early 2015, Guimbal stated that the Cabri was in service with 32 operators worldwide, and that the firm presently had orders for another 100 aircraft. On 19 May 2017, the 200th Cabri was delivered to HeliGroup, the type's distributor in the United Kingdom; this delivery brought the U.K. fleet to 28, which was the largest national fleet of Cabri G2s in the world. In 2015, it was also reported that 70% of all Cabri rotorcraft sold to date had been for training purposes; Bruno Guimbal has stated, "I designed the Cabri to be the best trainer that you can imagine".

Accidents

A mid-air collision between a

Cessna 152 The Cessna 152 is an American two-seat, fixed- tricycle-gear, general aviation airplane, used primarily for flight training and personal use. It was based on the earlier Cessna 150 incorporating a number of minor design changes and a slightly ...

and a Cabri G2 occurred on 17 November 2017 in the UK, causing four fatalities, two in each aircraft. Both aircraft were on training flights. On November 8, 2020, two Cabri G2 (Registration 9M-HCA & 9M-HCB) collided in mid-air with one of the helicopters crashing while the other crash landed safely in nearby Taman Melawati, a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Two people were killed. Both were from the same Heli Club based out of Subang Airport (SZB), Malaysia on training flights.

Specifications

Guimbal Cabri G2 Alexandre VALENTINI inside

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Kenyon, Dennis
"Oui, C'est Formidable."
''Blades'', February 2008. pp. 1–10.

External links

* * * * {{cite news , url= https://www.ainonline.com/sites/default/files/pdf/ain_2018_pilotreport_cabri_g2_v.pdf , title= Pilot Report: Hélicoptères Guimbal Cabri G2 , author= Alexa Rexroth , date= March 30, 2018 , work= AIN 1990s French civil utility aircraft 1990s French helicopters Single-engined piston helicopters Aircraft first flown in 2005