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Paul Dye

Paul Dye
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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.

Build It Better: The Choices We Make

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Paul Dye debuts his new series on the myriad considerations that go into building and flying Experimental aircraft.

Free Flight

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Expecting your avionics software to be free of bugs is unrealistic, but there is a way to avoid being bitten.

Free Flight

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The words "test pilot" conjure images of steely-eyed derring-do, but the reality is often a world away from all that.

Free Flight

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Thousands of hours of flight time in a pilots logbook are no guarantee of superior skill-or superior judgment.

Free Flight

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There are many definitions of first flight, and each is memorable in its own way.

Head in the Clouds

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Paul Dye extols the sheer joy and mystery of flying in clouds.

Exploring New Territory

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Venture out of your comfort zone every so often, because stretching can be fun.

Free Flight

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Sometimes those little modifications can add up to big consequences.

Free Flight

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Modern avionics, knowledge of the weather, a sturdy airframe and a cell phone make cross-country trips less of a gamble.

Building the RV-3 Aileron Trim

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Shocked by the price of servos, Paul Dye decided to fabricate an aileron trim for his RV using compact linear actuators intended for use in radio-controlled models and robotics.

In Case You Missed It

Aero ‘lectrics

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Repairing a malfunctioning headset may be not only inexpensive, but completely doable.

Alternator Mods Without Major Surgery

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Another way to modify a Nippondenso alternator for use with an external voltage regulator.

Avionics Troubleshooting 101

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Common diagnostic tasks to consider when things stop working.

Do ADs Apply to Homebuilts? (Part 236)

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Last month Kerry Fores’ provocatively titled column, “No One Is Watching” (Building Time, March...