For H500.
Hallo dear friend .... can I say a word or two to help.
I think most of us agree Bruno Guimbal's neat Cabri G2 has to be the way forward if the flying training trade is prepared to pay a bit extra. A year back I spent a very contented couple of days flying the Cabri for what was then the LOOP newspaper ... and impressed I was indeed. Composite construction, multi blade M/R giving sensible autorotation characteristics, plasma ignition, stroking seats for extra crew protection, no finite life components, (not a calendar throw-away design) glass instrument panel, fenestron style T/R, up to 5 hours endurance, crashworthy fuel tankage and a sensible dedicated luggage locker. The model I flew was touching 110 knots with nicely harmonised conventional individual controls. Yes ... all in all a neat trainer worthy of taking over from the successful R22.
So the Aix-en-Provence factory haven't acquired some decent selling boots yet AND expect the customer to pay for labour repairs ... so some potential customers say they won't buy! .... isn't that something like turning down a dinner date with Miss World 'cos she wants you to pay half the bill!
And bear in mind a new machine is unlikely to give major problems in the first couple of years after which the operator pays the whole bill for replacement parts anyway.
Having started and operated three flying schools over the years, I'd go for the Guimbal product if I was setting up a fourth ... swallow my pride and put up with the 50% warranty.
OR. I'd settle for locating a couple of used examples when they became available. Let's say a two-year old example sells for sterling £125k. That's 35% less interest, insurance and depreciation.
I'll bet a sixpence to the O2 dome that by 2010 the cabri type will be as ubiquitous as the venerable Robinson. But I have to admit to being badly wrong once before! Regards to all. Dennis K.