What Helicopteres Guimbal does

Hélicoptères Guimbal is a privately held French helicopter manufacturer founded in 2000 and headquartered at the Aerodrome d'Aix-en-Provence in Les Milles, France. The company designs and produces a single product, the Cabri G2, positioned by the company as the world's most advanced two-seat piston-engine helicopter. The Cabri G2 is targeted primarily at flight training organizations, private owners, and light professional operators, with use cases spanning pilot training, recreational aviation, and professional helicopter services.

The Cabri G2's technical platform centers on four proprietary safety and performance systems: a three-bladed composite main rotor with autorotation performance exceeding the U.S. Army minimum by 50%; a patented Fenestron tail rotor; a carbon-fiber monocoque fuselage with no calendar-limited components and direct-lightning-strike certification; and energy-absorbing seats certified under crash tests to survive 2,000 ft/min vertical impacts. The aircraft is the only piston helicopter certified to both EASA CS27 and FAR 27 regulations, and its modern materials eliminate the 12-year rebuild requirement typical of legacy training helicopters. The company also maintains an in-progress UAV research project.

The business model is direct sale of the Cabri G2 through a Configure & Buy online channel and through a global authorized partner network that delivers training, technical support, and professional services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. As a SAS with approximately 536,706 EUR in share capital and a 51-100 headcount range, Hélicoptères Guimbal operates as a privately funded, founder-influenced specialty manufacturer with worldwide customer reach and no disclosed external investors or institutional shareholders.

Name

Helicopteres Guimbal

Legal name

Helicopteres Guimbal S.A.S.

Website

https://guimbal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hélicoptères Guimbal is a French aircraft manufacturer founded in 2000 that designs and produces the Cabri G2, a two-seat piston-engine helicopter for flight training schools, private owners, and light professional operators, sold globally through authorized partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Aix-en-provence

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cabri G2 Helicopter Sales: Direct sale of the Cabri G2 piston engine helicopter. Customers can configure and purchase through the company's configure & buy system. The aircraft is positioned as a premium training and personal helicopter with no 12-year rebuild requirement due to modern design, offering low depreciation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hélicoptères Guimbal designs and manufactures the Cabri G2, a two-seat single-engine piston helicopter built with composite materials and modern avionics for flight training and private/recreational aviation. The aircraft incorporates a patented Fenestron tail rotor, three-bladed composite main rotor, carbon fiber monocoque fuselage, and energy-absorbing seats, and is the only piston helicopter dual-certified to EASA CS27 and FAR 27. Sales are direct through the company's website-based Configure & Buy system, supported by a global partner network for training, technical support, and professional services.

Product overview

Hélicoptères Guimbal is a French helicopter manufacturer specializing in light piston-engine helicopters. The company produces the Cabri G2 as its primary product—a 2-seat training and recreational helicopter featuring advanced safety technologies. The company also maintains an active UAV development project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cabri G2: The world's most advanced 2-seat piston engine helicopter, featuring cutting-edge safety technology including a 3-bladed rotor system, Fenestron tail rotor, carbon fiber fuselage, and crash-resistant fuel cell and seats.

Products and services

• Cabri G2 The Cabri G2 is a two-seat single-engine piston helicopter equipped with a 3-bladed composite main rotor system, a patented Fenestron tail rotor, a carbon fiber monocoque fuselage, a crash-resistant fuel cell, and energy-absorbing seats certified to EASA CS27 and FAR 27 regulations. It is targeted at flight training schools and private owners seeking advanced safety levels previously only available on large helicopters or military types. Customers can configure and purchase the aircraft directly through the company's Configure & Buy system.

Quantifiable outcome

• Autorotation performance exceeds minimum US Army requirement by 50%
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Leonardo Helicopters: Leonardo (formerly AgustaWestland) offers the AW119 and other light helicopters that compete in training and private aviation segments with extensive global support infrastructure.
• Airbus Helicopters: Airbus Helicopters is the global rotorcraft leader offering the H125 (formerly AS350 Ecureuil) and broader light helicopter portfolio, competing with Guimbal in training and private segments through scaled offerings.
• Bell Helicopter: Bell produces the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X and other light rotorcraft, serving training, private, and commercial segments with a broader portfolio that overlaps Cabri G2's target customers.
• Sikorsky (Lockheed Martin): Sikorsky operates in the broader helicopter manufacturing space with light helicopter offerings (S-300/Schweizer heritage) and competes for flight school customers through scale and military pedigree.

Direct peers

• Robinson Helicopter Company: Robinson is the dominant manufacturer of two-seat piston training helicopters (R22) and the direct benchmark for the Cabri G2. Both companies target flight schools and private owners with piston-engine platforms.
• Enstrom Helicopter: Enstrom produces light piston helicopters (F-28, 480) aimed at training, private, and government markets, competing head-to-head with the Cabri G2 in the same customer segments.
• MD Helicopters: MD Helicopters manufactures light single and twin helicopters (MD 500, MD 530) for civilian and military markets, competing in the light rotorcraft segment with comparable customer use cases.
• Schweizer Aircraft: Schweizer (now part of Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin) historically produced the Schweizer 300, a piston training helicopter directly competing with the Cabri G2 in flight school fleets.

Regional players

• HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited): HAL produces the HAL Dhruv and other rotorcraft for Indian and emerging markets, representing a regional competitor that does not directly compete in Guimbal's primary European/US footprint.

Emerging players

• Brantly International: Brantly is a smaller light helicopter manufacturer focused on two-seat piston platforms, representing an emerging/niche competitor with limited scale relative to Guimbal.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HelicopteresGuimbal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helicopteres-guimbal
• Instagraminstagram.com/helicopteresguimbal

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Helicopteres Guimbal