As I don’t want to hijack the NZ Comet thread, I’ll just make a new one 😉
If I remember correctly, there is a Miles Gemini under rebuild in NZ at the Croydon Aircraft Co facility. Does any of you know the status of that restoration? Last thing I heard (on the Miles bush telegraph) was the project was stalled for lack of a wing. Any updates?
Oh, and BTW, all photos greatly appriziated! 😉 😀
By: JDK - 26th September 2005 at 05:48
Now the real dangers of bad spellink are revealed. Chiz.
For Miles of amusement, See: http://fly.to/MuseumofBerkshireAviation
looks reasonably accurate to me.
By: Dave Homewood - 26th September 2005 at 04:45
By the way the spelling is Caboolture – aboriginal for Taxi Culture !!
It’s cheaper to go by Plati-bus 😀
By: setter - 26th September 2005 at 04:41
Hi Dave
No I don’t think it was the Aus one – But I do think it is in NZ somewhere – will find out and post – as JDK will tell you I have tubs of plastic folders in my garage …………….now where is that orange folder fronm 5 years ago……………..?
By the way the spelling is Caboolture – aboriginal for Taxi Culture !!
Regards
John
By: Dave Homewood - 26th September 2005 at 04:31
There’s a history of that North Shore aircraft here – no mention of Cubulture
http://www.aero51.plus.com/html/extant/messenger_zkcmm_history.htm
By: setter - 26th September 2005 at 04:04
James
It is my understanding that the Qld Messanger you refer to went to NZ a while back and was being subjected to a rebuild !!! Buggered if I know – I thought it was the one Dave and I saw and the one in his Pic – Who knows – I will try to pull up the record and see where it went.
Regards
John
By: Dave Homewood - 26th September 2005 at 03:22
Thanks Scrooge. I was always under the impression it was Stan’s Messenger.
Galdri, if you look at my recent post a few days ago called “The Museum of Transport and Technology” you’ll see another Gemini that’s here in NZ. It was last owned by Arthur Baker – a well known businessman who was from Cambridge and is incidentally one of the many airmen on my website, as he was an RNZAF Works officer during WWII.
By: JDK - 26th September 2005 at 02:33
What happened to the Messenger that was at Cubulture in Queensland?
By: scrooge - 25th September 2005 at 23:52
Yes, the information is correct regarding Stan Smith having a Gemini under rebuild, progress has been concentrated on the fuselage and cockpit area’s. As a correction to Dave’s post the Messenger does not belong to Stan but to Dave Cowie, it is maintained by Stan.
Scrooge
By: galdri - 25th September 2005 at 21:58
After seeing hairy’s post, I seriously thought I’d made a complete mess, there would be no Gemini in New Zealand. 😮 So started looking on the web, and this is what I found.
Lyn Foster, aka Aerobuild Vintage Aircraft Restorations, Brooklands, AUSTRAILIA, does have the the remains of Three Geminis. They are c/n 6486 ex-G-AKEN/VH-GBB, c/n 6522 ex-G-AKHU/VH-BOB and c/n 6435 ex-G-AILK/VH-BJZ. On the www.miles-aircraft.com site, it is stated that they are going to make two flyers out of the three. How old, and how accurate that information is, I do not know. I did see the ad in CWDU for the sale of one of the machines, but I do not remember which it was.
Now for the aircraft that started all this off! According to the Miles site, one Gemini, c/n 6524 ex-G-AKHW/ZH-AHW, is said to belong to Stan Smith in New Zealand. So, yes, there should be one over there!
By: DGH - 25th September 2005 at 16:01
This Gemini would be c/n 6524 G-AKHW then, once owned by The Plymouth Aero Club and flown often by Philip Clieife who went on to start Mayflower Air Services. She’s also survived a trip over the cliff at the end of the runway at St Marys. 😮 On this occasion the brakes failed and the pilot ( Mr Clieife ) tried to switch both engines of but a switch failure ment the starboard engine kept going. The runway sloppes down to the cliffs and so the pilot abandoned the aircraft to its fate but not before it run him over – ouch!
By: Dave Homewood - 25th September 2005 at 12:48
No worries Galdri. Here’s a photo I snapped in february of Mr Stan Smith in his gorgeous Moth Minor, and one of his other Miles, the Messenger. I never saw the Gemini at his facility so I’m not sure if he still has it.
By: galdri - 25th September 2005 at 12:30
Looks like I’ve got my wires well and truely crossed over this one! 😮
You’re right Dave, it would be Stan Smith’s Gemini that I’m thinking about in this case.
By: Hairyplane - 25th September 2005 at 11:10
Gemini
It is owned by Brooklands Aviation and was offered for sale as a project in Classic Wings Down Under a year or two back.
Looking at it and talking to Lyn Foster the owner when he visited Old Warden ( and flew my Magister when he was here), it would be a brave man who took it on.
THere are plenty of bits and expertise on this side of the pond though. However, there is one for sale here anyway so buy that!
It is a Belgian Registered machine, fully restored and airworthy and is being advertised in GA Buyer.
All the best
Hairyplane
By: Dave Homewood - 25th September 2005 at 11:07
Perhaps you’re thinking of Stan Smith’s Miles Gemini supposedly under rebuild at Dairy Flat, not Colin Smith at Mandeville???
By: DragonflyDH90 - 25th September 2005 at 10:55
No Gemini here that I have seen, I would be very happy if there was.
It would be a nice addition to the collection here and I would delight in flying it.
If anyone has one they would like to give Im sure we would love to proceed on…..
Sign In
September 24, 2005 at 11:28 pm