Ken Simpson Design
Ken Simpson is a retired Mechanical Engineer who was lucky enough in his early career to have worked on the Inertial Navigation System for the Apollo Spacecraft. After spending a dozen years in research and development, he then switched gears, so to speak, and went to work for a small manufacturer who was on the brink of introducing new miniature switches for the fledging computer industry. The rest is history, as they say, and Ken holds patents on contact and actuator designs still being used today, three decades later.
During this exciting time, Ken found time to design and build people carrying vehicles of an unusual kind. First came an Amphibian, powered by a VW air cooled engine mounted amidships. This was a three year project, and a lesson to concentrate on less complicated vehicles. Later he designed and built a one man Hovercraft, followed by a small enclosed Airboat. A young family also kept him busy, and larger vehicles were required. A 22' Sailboat (purchased) and a Dune Buggy (Built)were among their ongoing possesions.
After moving to Arizona from his native New England, an opportunity arose to be a partner in an Electronics Sales company, and for the next 10 years Ken became a peddler, working with various Engineering Companies, designing in new and exciting products, primarily in the Auto Aftermarket and Military Equipment fields.
Today, retired, he takes great pleasure in designing small, portable, easy to build, affordable boats. Surprisingly, there are a few good lakes near his home (it is the desert after all), and they have become a testing ground for these creations. Not content with yesterday's designs, and always looking out for new and different methods of construction, Ken continues to seek the boat design that will satisfy the most people. Not and easy objective, but one that should keep him busy for many more years, and designs, to come.
More to come - watch this space
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