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.
Alphabet Soup
There's an old joke that says that Lycoming once made two identical engines - but nobody can prove that it did! The genesis for this humor is undoubtedly the special publication we reviewed in today’s engine class titled Lycoming Certificated Aircraft Engines, otherwise known as SSP-110-1.
Back to School!
This week, we're at the Lycoming Engine Service School to learn about how the factory says they should be maintained, overhauled, and operated - and we hope to bring our readers along for the ride.
Speaking of Kneeboards
I normally fly with a compact, fabric kneeboard that wraps around my thigh with an elastic Velcro strap. Been using these for years -...
High Plains Drifter
Well, I wasn't exactly drifting - soaring along on the crest of some ridge lift and fighting a headwind more exactly. But the scenery...
Kindred Spirits – Fallen Colleagues
Bear with me a few paragraphs as I talk a little about my previous life. I have been in aviation since my teenage years,...
Sebring
Last week was my first opportunity to visit the US Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida, and I must say, I enjoyed it more than...
Sitting in Airplanes
I sometimes like to think back on how much time I have spent sitting in airplanes. I am sure that it long ago passed...
In Case You Missed It
Build Your Skills: Fabric
This month, fabric expert Ron Alexander discusses attaching the fabric to the aircraft parts using either a pre-sewn envelope or individually cut pieces of fabric. The process is optimized for strength in flight as well as aesthetic appeal.
Experimotive
Necessity is the mother of invention, and the Corvair engine for aircraft has inspired a host of innovative aftermarket solutions. By Rick Lindstrom.
