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.
Fighter Squadron
An RV Builder by the name of Charlie Derk posted this opioid online, and when I looked at it, I realized that it looked...
Wrapped
RV builder/owner Tony Kirk took no chances when the predicted storm came though on the first Saturday night of AirVenture. He followed the lead,...
Trying on the Two-Seater
I am probably one of the higher-time SubSonex JSX-2 pilots around, so it was with great interest that I dropped in at the Sonex...
We Owe Paul Better
I rarely, if ever, do public service announcements, but I was on the AirVenture grounds early the other morning, and saw something that would...
Let’s be Careful Out There
We get it folks—its been a long week, you’re tired, and you are ready to put Wittman Field in your mirror and head for...
Beer, Brats, and Curds
When you’re visiting a foreign country, I believe it is important to eat the local food—and as a born-and-bred Minnesotan, I am bound by...
My Favorite AirVenture Hideaways
If you have been to AirVenture before, you know it is immense. If you haven’t, and this is your first time, prepare to be...
Welcome to the Show!
AirVenture or Oshkosh – whatever you call it, there is a mystical quality to this event that draws 600,000 of our closest friends to...
Van’s at 50
It might surprise many of our readers that I am a relative newcomer to the world of Van’s Aircraft and the RV. It’s not...
In Case You Missed It
Letters
Courtesy Light QuestionI just read your courtesy light article . Great stuff! That's what...
Wind Tunnel
The aerodynamics of an airplane sometimes don't cooperate with the pilots desire to roll, and instead produce both yaw and roll. Contributing factors are aileron parasite drag, induced drag between the wings and changes in the roll rate itself;
The Independence Project: A Power Finish
The engine and prop complete the building phase, and the RV-12 is ready for the flight test phase. By Dave Martin.