Emergency floats approved for the Cabri G2

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has granted Hélicoptères Guimbal the final approval for the installation of an emergency flotation system on the Cabri G2 helicopter. The system, which will be offered as an optional installation, was approved on January 14 2011.

Hélicoptères Guimbal states that the success results from significant development efforts over two years from the manufacturer and its partner, the world specialist Zodiac Aerazur. The system has gone through three flight testing campaigns, including two at sea, and several live deployments have been involved to cover the full flight envelope.

The Cabri flotation system features a number of exclusive innovations, each of them giving the helicopter operators an operational benefit:
- Its use and deployment are validated in flight throughout the Cabri’s flight envelope, up to 130 kts, without any limitation or performance penalty,
- The flotation system is perfectly integrated, and keeps the standard landing gear and nearly the same baggage capacity,
- The floats while folded in their canister can be installed and removed in a few minutes by the pilot alone, without tool,
- The system comprises a purposely designed, high-reliability electronic box which ensures an automatic backup deployment of the floats, trough immersion sensing.

This new equipment opens new markets to the Cabri G2, involving flying over water, where only one competitor exists. It ensures the Cabri’s position as a passive and active high-safety helicopter.
The first Cabri equipped with the emergency flotation system was delivered to a private operator based in Monaco.