Paul Dye
Paul Dye has been the Editor-in-Chief and Editor at Large. He 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.
Hardware Musings
Two thoughts come from the shop today:
First—all you RV pilots out there, the nylon locknuts you need are MS21083N8. They are about a buck...
Slack Time – Part 4
So about welding…
I have spent 50 years working on airplanes of all types and materials—from tube and rag to metal plus a bit of...
Parked Props
As anyone who studied for their private pilot exam 50 years ago should know, airplane propellers should be parked horizontally—that's so that when it...
Slack Time – Part 3
Flying airplanes need attention, even when they aren’t flying and especially when the factory issues a new service bulletin! This winter, Van’s Aircraft put...
Conflicting Cues
Many years ago, after a visit to my snowbird parents, I was IFR and climbing to my eastbound altitude of 9000 feet. We all...
Slack Time – Part 2
So about that lathe and how it begat the need to learn welding. A recent addition to our airpark neighborhood is KITPLANES Home Shop...
In Case You Missed It
The Home Machinist
If your hacksaw has been relegated to the bottom of your toolbox, chances are its because you don't know how to use it properly. Author Bob Fritz offers a primer on the subject that may make you think more highly of this underused tool. A discussion of cam construction and keyless chucks rounds out this installment.
Wind Tunnel
Tail stalls have been in the news lately-Barnaby Wainfan dissects this phenomenon, and clarifies what to do and what not to do.
Reverse Engineering a Glasair Tailwheel
One day last summer, seconds after rolling from the hold short line to depart...
