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.
IRAN
It is sometimes easy to remember that we do annual condition inspections to find things that might be wrong with the airplane. I know...
Something Doesn’t Look Right
Look ma’ no eyebrow cooling holes!
The electric Xenos project rolls on, and forces one to rethink what we hold to be conventional. Most air-cooled...
A Two-headed Stick
No, you have not entered the magical realm of a circus freak show—this really is exactly what it looks like—a control stick with two...
Dealing With Off-Nominal: Part 1
Taking a closer look at “off-nominal” flight experiences and what to do about them.
In Case You Missed It
Wind Tunnel
Multiple engines complicate design, because not only must the airplane be able to maintain flight on one engine, but also the pilot must be able to control it. Lateral/directional stability issues are key;
The Cost to Build
When a kit airplane or plans purveyor provides an estimated cost to complete a project, consider it with a wary eye that's tempered with real-world experience.
