THE CABRI: Two seat helicopter - Design and first flights

The G2 "CABRI" (french for a baby mountain-goat) is a totally new light piston engine helicopter. Powered by a 150 hp, four cylinder aircraft engine, with a design gross weight of 550 kg, it is a good performance training and personal transportation two seater. Its structure is mainly of carbon/fiberglass/Nomex shell construction, specially designed to be simple and minimize cost penalty associated to composites. Its main rotor is a state-of-the-art, but extremely simplified three-bladed composite Spheriflex. It has a high inertia to allow safe full autorotation training. Personnally developped by the author, the G2 "CABRI" started ground testing late 91 and made a successful first flight beginning of April 92, with EUROCOPTER. It may serve as a flying demonstrator for a new, production light piston engine helicopter to come.