Guimbal Cabri G5 Officially in Development

Hélicoptères Guimbal is officially starting a helicopter family, confirming the development of the Grand Cabri G5. Speaking at a pre-Verticon media briefing, Hélicoptères Guimbal president and CEO Bruno Guimbal remained coy about a timeline that “started years ago,” although he suggested, “I will be more than happy if it gets into service in four years in France.”

As the proposed “big brother” to its existing sibling, the multi-mission G5 aims to bridge a perceived gap in the market between the smaller Guimbal Cabri G2 and Airbus H125. The concept began “many years ago, and we have had time to refine the strategy,” offered Guimbal, who explained that customers have long called for a larger variant building upon the DNA of the existing “basic safe trainer.”

Hélicoptères Guimbal has frozen the five-seat G5 design “for some time,” with eight tonnes of tooling already produced. The helicopter’s four-blade main rotor will feature high-aspect-ratio composite blades, helping improve ride quality and noise mitigation.

“Safety is the main issue for people who fly, but for people who don’t, noise is the main issue,” explained Guimbal. “I want the Cabri G5 to be the quietest helicopter ever.” Component supplier negotiations are currently ongoing.

The composite airframe will retain the crashworthy fuel system of the G2, while the cabin—“significantly smaller outside” than the now-discontinued Eurocopter EC120—retains almost identical internal dimensions. Designed for versatility and modularity, the G5 could prove a “very efficient” four-seat aircraft for military or VIP use, suggested Guimbal. He added that the reconfigurable seating arrangement “is, for a light helicopter, absolutely unique.”

Avionics will be informed by the multiple configurations developed on the G2, although “despite producing a significant part of our avionics,” Guimbal acknowledges, “today, what people want is a Garmin 500.” A second-generation vehicle management system set to fly “very soon” on the G2 will also be fully compatible with the upcoming type.

The G5 will be powered by an internally-mounted Safran Arrius 2D, marking the first partnership between the OEMs. This powerplant, described by Guimbal as “powerful, modern, and not too expensive for a turbine,” will offer 450 shp, a dual-channel Fadec, and 3,000 hours time between overhauls.

No timeline for G5 development milestones or certification expectations has yet been made public, but with Guimbal recognizing that the company is “not in a critical timeline,” it is not going to burn through money “just to save a few years.” However, he urged that entry into service will be “as soon as possible” and suggested the G5’s price will be “very competitive for a turbine helicopter.”

According to Guimbal, Airbus’ recent minority stake in Hélicoptères Guimbal “recognizes there is a place for this helicopter in the market,” although Airbus has no direct stake or responsibility in the ongoing G5 program.