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.
When Wear is Good
This screen is supposed to be checked at every oil change, so the paint wear should be proportional to age and hours.
Fiberglass Magic: A Better-Fitting Rear Seat Back
How to use fiberglass magic for a better-fitting RV-type rear seatback—stronger, snugger, and finished with a satisfying “clunk.”
Adventures in Pro-Seal
How do you use Pro-seal and document the procedure with a camera? The simple answer… you don’t! Once the Polysulfide Sealant comes out o...
ScaleBirds P-36 Hawk
ScaleBirds, a newcomer to the kit manufacturing scene, chose to start their line of replica fighters with one of the first all-metal U.S. military pursuit ships of WW-II—the P-36.
PolyGone – This Stuff Works!
I am usually disappointed when I turn to chemicals to try and ease the process of building or working on airplanes.
Reverse Engineering Heated Seats
How to they make it “high” and “low” with just a single SPDT switch and SPST relay?
Eating the Elephant
One person can’t imagine eating a whole elephant. It’s simply impossible. But the answer to the idiomatic question remains: one bite at a time!
In Case You Missed It
Around the Patch
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook takes note of the good, bad and the uncapitalized in public reactions to a recent aircraft accident. He encourages knowledgeable pilots, builders and enthusiasts to counter the public rantings of armchair crackpots with kindness and courage. Also, a tip of the buttonless cap to Omar Filipovic, KITPLANES.coms new webmaster, for his savvy work to create a more lively and flexible web site.
Engine Beat
Exhaust systems do more than just get air into and out of aircraft engines. Exhaust system design, in terms of exhaust pipe length, diameter and tuning, affect the efficiency and performance of the engine, for better or worse.
