Paul Dye
Paul Dye, KITPLANES® Editor at Large, retired as a Lead Flight Director for NASA’s Human Space Flight program, with 40 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.
Measuring Progress
Very few homebuilt aircraft are built in less than a year's time - at least when built by the average builder. For most, it...
First Engine Start
There are a couple of special days in the life of an experimental airplane project, and one that ranks right up there near the...
We Have an Engine!
The Lycoming Disassembly & Assembly course wrapped up this morning as we studied and installed the oil pump, accessory case, and magnetos - along...
Rubber Band Trick
I have watched and helped with the assembly of Lycoming engines before - but each time I've seen it done, there are little variations...
Piles of Parts
Lycoming's three-day Engine Disassembly and Reassembly course kicked off this morning, and once again, here we are - this time the goal being to...
Everyone’s Welcome!
Who attends the Lycoming Service School? You'd be surprised at the variety! Personally, I have flown behind these (and other) engines for most of...
Things I Learned in Class Today
The best quote yet from Jim Doebler - "These engines will whisper before they scream." In other words, listen carefully to what your engine is telling you - problems caught early are much easier to fix.
Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’…
Today's session at the Lycoming Service School included a little hands on time with maybe the most "radical new technology" to be included in...
In Case You Missed It
Building a Tunable Carbon Fiber Induction Plenum
There’s always more to learn when increasing your engine’s horsepower output and optimizing volumetric efficiency.
The Home Machinist
Home Machinist Bob Fritz had been looking for a way to compare the effectiveness of various screw extractors he had accumulated in his toolbox, and he found a willing test subject in a Cessna 170s 60-year-old gas tank.