Here's a ticket regarding loading /app/metal from inside plugins http://rails.lighthouseapp.com/projects/8994-ruby-on-rails/tickets/2045-patch-metals-should-be-loaded-from-engines
Take a look, let me know what you think.
I think I have a solution that works.
Maybe it doesn't matter, but it seems odd that Engines can do everything apart from Metal at the moment.