The idea and development of the helicopter was initiated as a private project by Bruno Guimbal, an engineer employed by Aérospatiale at the time, in the 1980s. From the early 1990s, the development and testing of the project was officially supported by Aérospatiale (later Eurocopter). The Cabri G2 prototype had its maiden flight in April 1992. The conventionally constructed helicopter is made of composite materials, has an empty weight of under 500 kg and is equipped with a three-blade main rotor with blades made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic.

Particular emphasis was placed on the helicopter’s crash safety and low operating costs. The cockpit is equipped with a modern multifunctional display.