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.
Real Homebuilder
Do you recognize this Homebuilder? I ran into this old NASA coworker at the US Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio this past week....
Builder Notes
Anyone who is building (or has built) a plane knows that your plans rarely remain pristine. I don't think I have ever met a...
The Beauty of Wood
I have been touring the birthplace of aviation for the past couple of days - no, not THAT birthplace of Aviation - the OTHER...
We Keep Killing People…
I guess it's a Monday Aviation Journalist thing - time to get grumpy and complain. Over on our sister publication, AVweb, Rick Durden is...
Nose Job
There comes a time in every plane's life when you just have to take her down for maintenance. Our RV-3B is probably the most...
Two “Fly-ins”
Not too many days ago, a dry lakebed near our home became the temporary residence of about 70,000 people as the annual Burning Man...
(Almost) Engine Hanging Time
We riveted on the firewall of our Dream Tundra project the other day - a major milestone because we think that means we have...
Head on a Swivel
Do you ever get too comfortable when you're flying? I routinely fly from our airpark down to a neighboring private airpark to work on...
Over the Wall
Anyone who has spent any time in the pits at the Reno Air Races knows of "the wall" - the line of concrete barriers...
The Envelope, Please
Seeing as how we're all part of the Experimental aviation business here, let's talk a little about test flying, shall we? Almost everyone who...
In Case You Missed It
Light Stuff
Dave Martins Spacewalker II makes room for his recently completed RV-12, and heads east to its new owner in Ohio.
Practical Electrical
Battery facts and fables for the aircraft builder–Part 1. By Robert L. Nuckolls, III.
Old School Solution
It doesn’t seem that long ago, but maybe it was, that the essence of a sport airplane was a biplane.
Light Stuff
If your homebuilt aircraft requires more assembly than actual fabrication, what does that mean vis-a-vis the FAA’s 51% rule? Roy Beisswenger looks into it.