Thats an interesting point that you bring up. Vmc. Although we experience it frequently and live to learn about it. Most people do believe that life ends at Vmc. It would be very interesting to pick a copy of Flight Safety and read an article intitled "Recovering from Vmc".
The worst behavior that I have experienced, with one engine out, is as follows : sticks in the corners, the plane is headed away from the feild and climbing. I can't turn in the direction I wish and I can not arrest the climb. I sence the plane is slowing and I am only a second or two from spinning in. I must do something, even if it is wrong! If "no action" will result in a crash, then I must do "something".
I have had this happen to me a dozen times in the eleven years that I owned a twin. One of the worst traits the plane had or that any twin can have is that tendency to climb with an engine out.
To that extent, I would stongly advise against the typical downthrust application to engine instulation. If the plane is rigged to fly straight and level with the engines running and then the engine dies and the downward moment of that engines thrust is removed , you will experience a subtle climb tendency.
If you look at some aircraft nacelles like the L188, you will notice that the cranks are not only above the leading edge, but there is an incredible amount of up-thrust in the engines. This will counter the apparrent downthrust from having mounted the engines so high above the wing.
Another factor to consider while building you Duelist is dihederal. Dihedral is a twins enemy!! That is why scale models typically don't fly as well as the sport twins.