Paul Dye
Paul Dye, KITPLANES® Editor at Large, retired as a Lead Flight Director for NASA’s Human Space Flight program, with 50 years of aerospace experience on everything from Cubs to the Space Shuttle. An avid homebuilder, he began flying and working on airplanes as a teen and has experience with a wide range of construction techniques and materials. He flies an RV-8 and SubSonex jet that he built, an RV-3 that he built with his pilot wife, as well as a Dream Tundra and an electric Xenos motorglider they completed. Currently, they are building an F1 Rocket. A commercially licensed pilot, he has logged over 6000 hours in many different types of aircraft and is an A&P, FAA DAR, EAA Tech Counselor and Flight Advisor; he was formerly a member of the Homebuilder’s Council. He consults and collaborates in aerospace operations and flight-testing projects across the country.
Ya’ Gotta Do what Ya’ Gotta Do
Common tools occasionally prove to be the solution to an obscure problem.
The Most Dangerous Thing in the Cockpit
Forget about all those sharp corners, the quantity of fuel aboard and the fire extinguisher you threw in the baggage compartment without tying it down. It is always important to at least consider the fact that the most dangerous thing to have in the cockpit when things go wrong is the owner of the airplane.
Building a Backbone
Building the “spinal cord” from panel to tail is far easier (even when you use conduit) before the floors are nailed down, so think about it early.
Hide the Comm
Someone asked me (after seeing the panel photo of our nascent Rocket front office) why there are circuit breakers underneath the IFR Nav/Transponder on...
Panel Tricks… and Cheats
Even if you’re only off a small fraction of an inch, the eye sees that the air vent isn’t concentric in the hole.
Old, New & Old Again!
We are seeing more talk of people rebuilding cores found in barns or the back of hangars.
In Case You Missed It
Down to Earth
When pilot/builder Amy Laboda planted the seed in her husband's mind that the most suitable next airplane for them would be a glass-panel RV-10, the suggestion was met with something akin to a sneer-despite her sincere offer to help with the build. Still, the project has turned out to be a joint effort, complete with all the give and take one would anticipate in such an endeavor.
Turnbuckle Safety Wire
Turnbuckles are usually used in control systems to apply the proper amount of tension...
Wind Tunnel
Thrust-line adjustment is a powerful tool for tailoring flying qualities, but it’s complicated.