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Paul Dye

Paul Dye
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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.

Hollow Bolts for Propeller Balancing

5
Lighten the steel bolts for dynamic propeller balancing.

Building Trust—Reliability vs. Redundancy

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It is hard to fly without a little trust. Call it faith if you will, but we fundamentally can’t leave the ground without some...
Hartzell 3-blade Explorer propeller

Another Week, Another Prop

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This week, we’re flying the new “Explorer” three-blade composite prop from Hartzell on our RV-8.

The Art of Assembly

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The day will come when all of your engine’s parts come home from their exciting trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Remember that, in the last...

Cracked!

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Take a deep breath–it can be fixed.

Spinner Bulkheads – Getting the Spacing Right

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If you have ever needed to change props or spinners on your completed homebuilt, you have probably sweated out the clearance between the rear...

Overhauling Your Own Lycoming

3
Get friendly with the UPS driver who knows his way to Tulsa.

I Spent How Much? Oh… OK…

3
I just placed an order with our favorite major aircraft parts vendor for some tires. Small, little tires. A couple of tailwheel pneumatic tires...

The Little Things Can Get Ya’…

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When I was a teenager, I was a member of an Aviation Explorer Post that was sponsored by an FBO. We got to spend...

Following the DIY Approach to Engine Overhaul, One Step at a...

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Following the DIY approach to engine overhaul, one step at a time.

In Case You Missed It

The alternative to bending down as the propeller is pulled through the compression stroke is to keep the back straight and bend the knees slightly, stepping away in a crouch. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]

Manual Starting Methods

1
Practical techniques for hand-propping and other manual engine starts when an electric starter isn't available.

NPT and Aircraft Fittings–Don’t Get That Size Wrong!

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National Pipe Thread‭ ‬is a U.S‭. ‬standard for‭ ‬tapered‭ ‬threads‭, ‬which we find on...

AN960 Washers, the Penny and My Thoughts

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Not a week (sometimes a day) went by during my Sonex career that I...

Accessory Stacking To Mill an Arc

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Securely holding small parts for machining is always a challenge. The solution may be...