Gemini mystery photo.

Could not help me self!!:o

Herr Ving Commander Douglas Bader, DB, Dogsbody….. Any remain’s of his Aircraft :confused:

By the way I’m a blooody Hiller Helicopter, UH-12B, a septic one at that if I remmeber correctly 😮 😮

G’ day

No Answer but found the thread interesting!

See ya are as hard at the detail’s as EVER Mr P;)

Watch out it’s classed as obsesive behaviour my quack’s, and can lead to lost sleep, and other strange quirk’s that their fellow human’s and most women can never understand, why aircraft, what give’s here!

Twisted me head a bit Mark mate, but well done.

Must agree it’s a great puzzler as Alway’s Mark 12 mate 😎 , just how much of your life and time do you spend comming up with all these mate:eek: 😮 .

Now to get sorta serious:rolleyes: , and musta asked before, BUT what remain’s of Doug Bader’s Gem :confused:

Anyway welcome all:D , Ooooo Roooo for now 🙂

I think Mondariz is on the right track.
Look carefully at that registration on the further aircraft. The letters post the “A” are of a slightly smaller size (look along the lower lettering line ) and also don’t line up properly in the vertical or horizontal fuselage axes.

There is no evidence of digital manipulation other than basic scanning of a 60 odd year old print. Note scratch on negative adjacent to registration

Mark

I think Mondariz is on the right track.
Look carefully at that registration on the further aircraft. The letters post the “A” are of a slightly smaller size (look along the lower lettering line ) and also don’t line up properly in the vertical or horizontal fuselage axes.

.
This photo must be very old based on the known history of G-AIHI being:

Gemini M.65 6283 G-AIHI Untraced France 1948 F-BENP
Known History: The CoA was issued on 6 November 1946 as G-AIHI. To France in February 1948 as F-BENP.

suggesting the photo was taken between November 1946 and February 1948.

A likely explanation is that the marking G-AIHI was incorrectly placed on another s/n Gemini and that was discovered & rectified (and therefore temporarily duplicated) before sale of the correct G-AIHI s/n 6283 to France as F-BENP?

I assume as new aircraft both AIHI’s are shown at the manufacturer before the successful sale to France of one of them.

There is NO record of any other Gemini’s intentionally carrying the AIHI marks either as G, D or ??-AIHI, so it most certainly seems like an unintentional or “intentional” duplication by the paint shop? of G-AIHI??

Another possibility is an intentional temporary marking of another aircraft as G-AIHI to facilitate the sale to the overseas buyer at time of inspection? due to some unforeseen unavailability of the real G-AIHI?

I seem to recall reading in Stuart McKay’s excellent book of a similar technique used by DH to sell a Moth where the buyer demanded a certain colour be available at time of order and refused to sign until he could see his completed aircraft, so the customers rego marks were temporarily applied to a correctly painted other aircraft to satisfy the customers whim, with the actual aircraft delivery being delayed after contract signing to discretely allow the true purchased aircraft to be repainted in the customer’s colour scheme and be delivered in its correct rego marks.

http://members.aol.com/warwicaero/milesaircraft/aircraft/m65afhis.htm

The prototype, G-AGUS, presented no problems with its construction and was first flown by either F G or George Miles on the 26 October 1945. It originally had fixed undercarriage, but this was a temporary measure due to the non-availability of the retractable units that were powered by Miles electric actuators………The first production machine was G-AIDO, now fitted with the retractable undercarriage units, and it was designated the M.65 1A. It was certified on the 30 August 1946. Another five followed quickly, and the last large scale production run for Miles had started.

The above website demonstrates some strange relationships between s/n and CoA dates

s/n CoA date
4701 (prototype) 15/3/46 (G-AGUS) built as fixed undercarriage

6280 20/6/47 (G-AJOJ)
6281 20/6/47 (G-AJOK)
6282 8/8/47 (G-AJOM)
6283 6/11/46 (G-AIHI)
6284 3/10/47 (G-AKDD)
6285 3/4/47 (G-AISD)
6286 – 6304 various dates in 1947 G-AJ?? & AK?? series)

6305 4/11/46 (G-AHKL)
6306 “second proto” 30/8/46 (G-AIDO) * listed as first production a/c
6307 27/9/46 (G-AIHM)
6308 30/10/46 (G-AIDG)
6309 4/11/46 (G-AIKW)
6310 10/12/46 (G-AIIE)
6311 30/1/47 (G-AILG)

6312 – 6329 Various dates in 1947 various G-AI, AJ & AK series

6444 – 6478 Various dates from 47 to 59 various G-AI, AJ & AK series

By “serial number” 6283 G-AIHI is the 5th Gemini built? and yet 7th to recieve a CoA “by date”? with many of the other 6280 block aircraft receiving their CoA’s much later in 1947?.

Interestingly the other 1946 CoA aircraft are all in the 6300 block including 6306 which is listed as the second prototype or first production a/c.

Also of interest is that the registration of 6305 as a “G-AH” series would seem an earlier registration mark than the “G-AI” series aircraft with CoA’s dated earleir than it?

Were these aircraft assembled and flown under a manufacturers number? prior to being issued a CofA? could the marks be reserved and allocated prior to the CoA being formally issued on a particular date?

Is it possible the first s/n aircraft built on the production line in the 6280 series were held up on the production due to issues with the retractable undercarriage etc and upgrades to M.65 1A in a similar way to the prototype, causing the first production aircraft to actually issued and flown with CoA to be from the 6300 block.

This might explain that 6283 was actually caught up in this issue and out of sequence ,and either its s/n incorrectly linked to a 1946 CoA while another airframe was actually marked and flown as G-AIHI at that time, until the error was found and corrected during inspection at time of sale in early 1948?

This situation may well have then resulted in the duplicate registrations being carried by two airframes? for a brief period at the factory? prior to delivery of of s/n 6283 to France.

Unfortunately it does not seem possible to identify a likely candidate for the incorrectly “second” marked AIHI? or indeed to identify which is the future French aircraft in the photo?

An interesting puzzle you found Mark12

Regards

Mark Pilkington

It seems like the far one has been touched up, as the reg is very clear.

I would guess, that the pic was altered and the person altering it, thought that AIHI was on all Geminis. (is the plural Gemenii?)

Well, D-AIHI is an Airbus, so that’s ruled out!
I was going to suggest it was some sort of construction number, but G-AIHI is a pukka registered Gemini.
So I reckon like you it’s for some sort of film, or, it could be a mistake in the paint shop!