Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Daniel Niendorff on April 7, 2019 at 5:19am

That concept looks great!

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Permalink Reply by Ian Robb on April 7, 2019 at 9:16pm

I doubt there is much developing being done to it. It was announced in 1996, not much news since. I wouldn't hold my breath.

Interesting concept though.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Pustell on April 10, 2019 at 6:16pm

I have bugged the factory a few times about the Gemini. I love the concept (especially because I live in the NH mountains and a spare engine would be a nice thing to have, given the hostile terrain and limited forced landing options available here). Plus, the thing just looks so RIGHT!

Basically, they like it also but are so busy just keeping up with what they are doing that the Gemini is quite literally not a priority. I remember they put the engines from the prototype up for sale a while back which is most likely a sign that they are abandoning the concept.

I would love to see them revisit the idea with more recently available components - a 650 fuselage with the Gemini style center section grafted to it that mounts the main gear and the engine pylons, with 650 wings (maybe shortened just a bit, maybe not) mounted onto the outboard ends of the center section, just outboard of the engine nacelles. Mount a couple of 100 to 120 HP engines and you would have a sweet machine! I'll take mine as a taildragger. Imagine it with a couple of Rotec radial engines and taildragger gear - a 2/3 scale 1930's twin in appearance.

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Permalink Reply by Lawrence Bird on April 11, 2019 at 8:10am

With a couple of 912s on a 650 airframe, you'd have something that resembled a Wing Derringer for normal folks -- one of my fantasies... 

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Permalink Reply by Oliver Reik on April 11, 2019 at 9:43pm

I have to admit that while I think that it is (was) a cool project, I am also not sure if I'd put money into it if I were Zenith.

I think I'd work next on a Heavy Duty CruZer and then maybe something like a 850 CruZer.

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Hoyt on April 11, 2019 at 9:56am

Shrink it down to a single seater.  Hang one of those small jet engines (like the SubSonex uses) under each wing.  Call it the ZE-262.

Yeah, one can dream..........

- Pat

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Permalink Reply by Ian Robb on April 11, 2019 at 11:55am

They'd really have to beef up that airframe to get above the current 160mph VNE. That thing would flutter and disintegrate pretty quick with two of those engines. 

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