Pilot Dar
Could not agree more!!! It makes sobering reading hence why with all my twin time I have personally looked at the options.
If you take the Seneca (figures based on earlier Senecas not the 5) Its stalling and over the hedge speeds are similar to a high performance single so you always have the option to close both throttles and treat it as one.
The article looks at light twins at grosse weight. Light they will perform better on one but there is a danger zone in the first couple of hundred feet after takeoff where you maybe better off treating the aircraft as a single and taking to a field as you would a single.
Little is discussed about single engine cruise and all about how bad they are attempting to climb.
As stated many moons ago we shut a Seneca engine down fully crossing the channel, trimmed it and flew to france restarting the unit to land in france.
That phase is a doddle the aircraft quite happy albeit with an IAS of 120-125 kts instead of 150 kts.
At most airfields there is no reason why you cannot go for single engine cruise even at 4-500 feet AGL.
Give yourself a margine down to 110 kts! set up for level cruise at 120 kts trim for a slight climb as speed comes back to 110kts level again and gradually step to circuit height.
Most training in twins are for bigger and better aircraft usually with commercial pilots looking ahead and not directed at pilots who will only fly light twins.
The article is a good read and reinforces the fact that all a twin gives you is more options than a single which will only go one way and thats down.
With those extra options comes an option to get it badly wrong with fatal consequences.
In the cruise over fog or sea or at night or in IMC with cloud almost down to the deck below the twin is very reassuring. Why because you are not in the takeoff phase you are in the cruise phase and in the cruise they behave very nicely thank you on one.
Pace