THE CABRI STORY
In the 1990’s during his time at Eurocopter as one of the design engineers working on the EC120 program Bruno Guimbal developed a working demonstrator of a two-seat piston helicopter. This machine incorporated technologies and safety features that were common place on modern turbine helicopters, but were at the time out of the reach of piston engine helicopter owners and operators.
Bruno was determined to show that it was possible to design and build a small piston engine helicopter with the levels of safety enjoyed by those who could afford a turbine machine. In addition to incorporating advanced safety concepts he also took advantage of several key technologies that provided the superior flight characteristics found in larger turbine helicopters. The resulting prototype was acknowledged widely as an important advance in helicopter design.
Helicopters Guimbal was established in the year 2000 with the purpose of certifying the Cabri G2 and putting it into commercial production. Research and production facilities were established at Aix-en-Provence in southern France.
In March 2005 the company achieved the first flight of F-WYHG, serial number 1001 and in December 2007, following six years of development and 300 hours of flight testing the Cabri G2 was awarded its EASA Type Certificate.
In May 2008, Eurocopter signs an order for a Cabri G2, and September of that year the first customer delivery is made.