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.
Reno Time!
September in northern Nevada brings the sound of big engines turning fast - and airframes going even faster! It's time for the Reno Races,...
Front Seal Tool
How many of you have replaced the front crankshaft seal on a Lycoming engine? Yeah....I see a lot of hands up, which is what...
BRS Thoughts
I occasionally receive notes requesting information on ballistic recovery systems for E-AB aircraft, and questions on why you don't see more articles in Kitplanes...
Meeting the Original
We were lucky to have the opportunity to attend the recent solar eclipse at a point almost directly under the totality path, and doubly...
Traffic Jam
Returning from our Great Eclipse trip in western Oregon to our home base near Reno, Nevada, we ran across this steady stream of space...
No More Grease Spots
About halfway to Oshkosh last month, I started to notice spots of grease appearing on the canopy of our trusty RV-3. I've seen oil...
While Im in here…
It all begins so innocently. We have the best intentions to make a small modification or simply fix something that isn't quite right. We...
Cruisin'
We normally take our fast RVs on longish cross-country tips, but this weekend's mission was to take some stuff down to Big Bear Lake...
Before and After: Tundra Tires
Ever wondered what Tundra Tires can do for a bush plane? Here's a quick summary, based on the first couple of hours of flying...
In Case You Missed It
Down to Earth
You like to think that once you're finished building, those deliriously long cross-country flights you've been craving are near at hand. Enter the DAR, who may or may not agree with that premise. Columnist Amy Laboda and her husband were just such eager beavers, but they soon learned (somewhat reluctantly) that there's value in listening to the voice of experience.
Around the Patch
Editor in Chief Marc Cook was skeptical early on about using the Primary Category to address the problem of over-reliance on commercial builder assistance. But further consideration made him think it may have a role to play in the FAAs revised guidance.
Wind Tunnel
Fixed gear or retractable gear? Barnaby Wainfan examines the physics behind this longstanding design question.