Silent engines

[Ron Olson]

I regret to inform the members here that Ric Carpenter passed away on Saturday at the age of 55. I didn't find out until I read today's newspaper so I really don't have any other information as of right now but I will keep you updated.

Many of the long-time members here at over at the old RCBoat.com may remember or know Ric. I got to know him through Dave Homer back when we had the Kal-Valley RCMBC many years ago. Ric was a very intelligent person who always drew outside the lines when it came to model boats, especially when it came to electrronics. He was the manufacturer of the electronic glow plug ignitors that Jim Irwin used to sell. Ric had also worked on an AMB type of timing and scoring system for boats that was submerged just under the water. Another item that he was tinkering with was a water flow regulator for outboard engines which could have been used on inboards also but OB tunnels were more his passion. He did dabble in mono's and outriggers, designing and racing many of his own designs.

Ric and I spent many late-nights talking on the phone with him teling me about his latest idea.

Unfortunately I haven't been in contact with him much since he moved from the west side of town to Schoolcraft where he lived until his passing.

www.lifestorynet.com should have more information as it comes along and http://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/kalamazoo/ .

 

[David Homer]

As Ron mentioned, I've known Ric for many years. During the late 80's/early 90's, he pretty much siglehandedly promoted R/C powerboat racing in SW lower Michigan. The races at the Battle Creek Elks' club were largely his doing. I was there later on to help... He could talk engineering for hours on end like most of us talk about the weather. He took an old Futaba gold box and built a ham-band computer transmitter in it.. When he designed boats, he talked about vectors and hydrodynamics. In fact in the early 90's he came up with an outrigger design of which parts look a bit similar to the Eagle SG. His prototype didn't run all that well (might have been the K&B engine), but maybe the basic design did have merit. The most memorable thing about Ric was his earlier outrigger design, a thing we affectionately called "the buoy magnet". At one of the Battle Creek races, he had the heat nailed. Last turn, last lap, smack square into #6... Wasn't the first time..

Over the past few years I've been inactive w/the boats and I too haven't kept up with Ric. Saddened to hear of his passing, he was one of a kind.

 

[Ron Olson]

I found Ric's obituary, http://www.lifestorynet.com/memories/56187/ .