Ex-Classic Air Force Miles Gemini

Nice to hear of your progress even if you are thousands of miles away! Very exciting news! Look forward to seeing some pics 🙂

Stan

Good to hear about the steady progress with your pair of Miles. You kindly let me look over them a couple of years back and I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent hearing about all your various projects.

Tim

I was just about to post that, Stan! I’ve been following along through Bruce’s posts on Facebook. Very exciting for Kiwi enthusiasts!

Slight thread drift. We are restoring Gemini G-AKHW and have Messenger G-AKEZ almost ready to fly, both aquired from Peter Lee who was operating ‘KHP at the time.

Apparently it was taken to Denmark primarily for the engines as they were the same as used in one of the KZ designs. They did however fly this Gemini for a little while then put it in store. The aircraft is remarkably complete and considering its lengthy storage and subsequent moves I was amazed at its state of preservation.

Thanks for the info!

IIRC, ‘DK was acquired in the early Seventies by the prolific Danish vintage aircraft collector Jens Toft and was passed on by him to the now defunct Danmarks Flyvemuseum. As stated earlier, I saw it in 1982 or 1983 – or rather what remained of it – while it was in storage at Kongelundsfortet, a Danish Air Force Hawk AA-missile battery south of Copenhagen Airport. Considering the mess that that organization made of the aircraft donated to it, I’m so pleased to see it in good hands in the country where it belongs.

Unfortunately they cost vastly more to rebuild thsn they are worth. Gemini G-AKHP is for sale and in very good order – you couldn’t commercially rebuild two Cirrus Minors for the price the owner is asking for the whole machine!

G-AKDK is still stored indoors and dismantled at Coventry. It is now owned by Peter Turner again (he bought it back off CAF). I spoke with him over the weekend and he told me that as it could be put back in the air by someone with the right funds he is still keen to see that happen.

Does anyone know what has/is happened/happening to this aircraft since Classic Air Force folded?

And while on the subject of Miles Gemini: Here’s an airworthy one still for sale, now reduced to €37.500,-. That’s much less than what a good Piper J-3C costs! If I had a hangar space and a twin rating, then… but I haven’t.

http://planecheck.com/aspdet.asp?nr=37135

I was pleased to see Duxman’s photo of KDK at Westwood. I used to live quite close to the airfield (the home of RAF Peterborough) and was a member of 115 ATC squadron based there (and is still on the same site). The Gemini belonged to Mitchell Engineering, a Peterborough-based firm. I first saw it in May 1952, so that gives an idea of the date of Duxman’s photo.There were two relatively new hangars on the airfield containing a mix of Tiger Moths, Austers, a Messenger and Baker Perkins Apache. There were in fact 3 Geminis, as JWC and KFY were there too. BEA ran a helicopter mail service for a short time from Westwood.

Never heard of this Gemini – presume it has been a while since she was active? Good save – hope the rebuild goes smoothly! First Gemini on Public Transport C of A since KKH in the 80s?

G-INFO (website) has it last registered to a person at Bourne End, Bucks, and permanently withdrawn from use 5/11/73 almost exactly 40 years ago .

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-AKDK-3.pdf

The “unknown location” is one of the many storage sites through which many Danish “preserved” aircraft have passed since the late Sixties, very likely Billund in the late Eighties or early Nineties, with the yellow component to the left being a part of Klemm Kl 35 SE-AKN luckily now back in Sweden and flying there.

I’m extremely relieved to see this aircraft having gone to a good home with a viable future. I saw in the early Eighties and there’s a lot of work ahead…

Never heard of this Gemini – presume it has been a while since she was active? Good save – hope the rebuild goes smoothly! First Gemini on Public Transport C of A since KKH in the 80s?

First thing to do is convert her to Gipsy 145hp units !

Great news, I do hope it will be making pleasure flights when finished.

Excellent news for all fans of these Miles aircraft. Below a few shots from my collection which may be of interest.

At Gatwick pre 1950

G-AKDK GATWICK pre 1950 by AJCDuxman, on Flickr

At White Waltham (date u/k)

G-AKDK White Waltham by AJCDuxman, on Flickr

At Westwood near Peterborough – date u/k

G-AKDK at Westwood near Pboro by AJCDuxman, on Flickr

2 pictures at unidentified locations.

G-AKDK by AJCDuxman, on Flickr

G-AKDK by AJCDuxman, on Flickr

At Elstree in the 1960s

G-AKDK Elstree by AJCDuxman, on Flickr

Finally stored at unknown location awaiting an uncertain future ( sometimes dreams come true !!!!)

G-AKDK by AJCDuxman, on Flickr

Duxman

Flikr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/64209520@N05/

The extraction from storage and move went well, even though it was nearly dark by the time it was all unloaded at the destination. We were lucky that the heavy rain held off until after Delta Kilo was safely tucked up at CVT.

That’s really good news 🙂

I like the photograph of ‘KDK to the west of the unadulterated terminal building and control tower at Shoreham!