Rotorcraft
Production ramp-up slow for two-seat Cabri
Hélicoptères Guimbal, the France-based manufacturer that is offering a more modern, pricier alternative to existing piston-engine helicopters (see

Hélicoptères Guimbal, the France-based manufacturer that is offering a more modern, pricier alternative to existing piston-engine helicopters (see AIN, November 2008, page 76), is seeing slow progress in sales and production, apparently feeling the down economy.

The
Cabri two-seater, which sells for €260,000 ($350,000), could, in theory, be delivered at a rate of one per month. The company has increased production parts inventory to streamline the process, founder and CEO Bruno Guimbal told AIN recently, but some challenges remain before the company can reach the targeted production rate. First, Guimbal needs four or five more employees to deliver one helicopter per month. The company hopes to reach a production rate of two per month by the end of this year, providing this ramp-up can be funded.