Miles Gemini
Wessex Boy,
Astonished to learn that there are any of these still flying.
I did what is now called the multi-engine rating on one in the early '50s. Like most Miles aircraft, the Gemini was quite nice to fly but it was no Twin Comanche! I can't remember all the figures but with the Cirrus Minor engines of 90hp each (some later production airframes were fitted with Gipsy Major 10's having 145hp), performance was less than electrifying and often bordered on the marginal at MTOW which was around 3000lbs.You had to keep your wits about you. Even at the time, there was a silly joke about not noticing an engine failure on take-off as 90hp was so little it wouldn't be missed. As far as I can recall, the VSI never went above 500ft/min, at least not going uphill but cruising speed was a reasonable 115kt or thereabouts and the range was exceptional for those days - over 900 miles if you could lean the mixture a bit.
With the short nose, (the integral landing light was considered rather sexy) cockpit visibility was excellent but forward vision in rain was somewhat impaired without the prop there to blow the stuff away. This left the side windows a bit obscured which was a pain as you needed to be able to see out to read the fuel gauges mounted on top of the wings. Tanks were behind the wheel well and engine; all in what at the time was a very swish, streamlined nacelle. It now looks rather quaint but was effective in reducing cabin noise which was quite low.
The main gear went up/down on an hydraulic system and it was a real feat to pump the gear up whilst maintaining a steady climb; a bit like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time if you know what I mean, so you had to pay attention to the throttle friction nuts. A go-around was a nightmare! The rudders were unusually powerful and often could be used to counter an incipient ground loop without use of brakes. Oh! I could ramble on for hours . .
I you are able to wangle a ride in one, go for it! A very interesting aircraft by today's standards but I should be very wary of buying one. The wood framing with plywood covering was light and worked well in 1947 but I imagine that present maintenance costs would be stratospheric. Spares would be a nightmare, particularly in the case of the Blackburn engine and when I was tempted to take the plunge with one going cheap at Rochester in the '60s, there was some suspicion attached to the quality of horses used to make the glue . . . Fortunately, I did not buy it. But to preserve one as a non-flying exhibit would be tremendous fun.
Sadly, Miles, who had always sailed close to the wind financially, went tango uniform in the late 'forties, had an association with Handley Page and, I think, much later had some remnants to be found in the Beagle company. It was Lord Stansgate, a.k.a The Hon. Anthony Wedgwood Benn, a.k.a swinging Tony Benn who very neatly drove the last nails into the coffin of the British light aircraft industry before giving away very large sums of taxpayers money to a crook called de Lorean.
Next week, we shall take a look at the DH84 . . .