CentralS - That there's some bloody impressive close-formation flying! :E

I/C

Great news, Zodiac "rules" , now G2 is ready for my islands :ok:

with air!
 

Air con I note also on their website, that's pretty impressive for a 4 pot motor.

Cracking pictures :ok::ok::ok::ok::ok:

I wonder if this great looking machine is going to be at the Australian Avalon Airshow in March 2011?? :E

Also, so now it has flown overseas, and I see it in a hangar above with a H300 & R44, how does it compare in prices of running and operating costs compared to these machines. Anyone got any good figures to quote? Maybe just one or two? :ok:

Runing numbers are much better :ok:

No, they won't. The Cabri are now on the container-ship between Europe and Sydney. It's a 40-day trip.

C.S.

Overall cost of ownership of the Cabri will be good. Yes, I know the list price is more than the R22 but consider if you will;

1) No 12 year rebuild, regardless of hours actually flown

2) No airframe corrosion, it's all composite

3) No fatigue life limited components

The experience of ownership will be good too;

1)The cabin is the same width as the R44 and it comes with leather seats and a good equipment fit as standard.

2) 45 US gall/170litre tank giving 4.5 hour endurance

3) Proper baggage compartment, 200 litre capacity will take two airline size carry on cases

4) Low flyover noise from Fenestron tail rotor and vertical exhaust.

5) Superior autorotation characteristics - better even than some turbine helicopters let alone 2 seat pistons

6) Very smooth flight from fully articulated rotor

The biggest selling point that Bruno Guimbal points out is the Cabri's safety. It is tested to 31g vertical load which in practice means that you are likely to survive a 2,000 ft/min impact. Just as a car designed in the 1970s would not meet current safety standards so it is with helicopters.

BTW, if you are wondering how I came across some previously unpublished information I have written about my factory visit and flight in the Cabri in the next edition of Rotor Torque.

:Dall facts well known to me, but I am secret Cabri G2 fan
Airframe is actually crash tested, approx year ago in Germany,
both pilots just walk away :cool:

Looking at this website The All New Cabri G2 | Helicopter Wise - An online Helicopter Magazine cabri is very expensive to run?

It's based on quite a lot of assumptions, thus being unrealistic to some extent. Is there any side-by-side comparison of actual hourly cost compared to Schweizer or robinson 22?

"2) No airframe corrosion, it's all composite?"
Corrosion no but with the tail section & TR queries on other composite helicopter structures, other problems may be as big or bigger problem, this still has to be backed up with hours flown, + the French connection (EC like) response times.
A friend enquired18 months ago, still has had no response:ugh:
Lots of good points, think it is the way forward, but Co needs to sharpen up on customer service as that also reflects on owners perception of maintenance issues, times.

UK insurance is astronomic £ about £ 19k for £250k hull value thats 50% more than a 500 with 5 seats and 50% more hull value or I can insure 2 x 300's for less and still ahve change
The underwriters do not like the composite as unknown cost to repair and no history of machine
I agree machine of future but not sure cheaper to run than a 300. Fuel about the same currently 300's use 43 litres an hour for all training G2 is claimed 41 litres insurance is 2.5 times greater !

Going to the factory shortly and can't wait to see for myselve.

I find the composite debate unfair though. Yes there has been composite failures recently but to my knowledge restricted to a manufacturer? As pointed out and if one wants to draw a link the Cabri tends to the EC's which have been using composites for a while without issue structural and non-structural?

If I am not mistaken then this means the problem is not so much with composites but a process used?

As said, I will see for myselve shortly.

VP
I tend to agree with you regarding composite but it could be flagged as a problem by insurance companies.
The repair facilities are fewer than for existing structures, (higher cost?) impact damage could be spread over larger areas, the requirement for in-depth repair facility's will be very high, & as you say one leading manufacturer probably has a issue, hope the repair shops can keep materials, environment & skill levels high enough to ensure a satisfactory outcome.
As I say, like the look & specification lots of good things in the mix, especially the crash data, Not that we want to find out first hand.
Hope to visit factory if things stack up missed a visit a few weeks ago.

This can't be... nor real life flight hour price comparison???

UK dealer has been appointed by Guimbal

Who is it?

Strike that - I found Cotswold Helicopters

Guimbal appoints UK dealer for Cabri | Helihub - the Helicopter Industry Data Source

Interesting that it describes the UK as "Europe's biggest civil helicopter market".

The other markets are very uncivil!

When you guys speak about factory visits, how did you get invited? Interest in the G2 and known to be a real buyer? Or do you work for the media?