Conrad Lau
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Comment: This is looking more and more interesting, but I think it needs to wait a little longer while I have a read of my Apollo bookshelf. MALLAR is pretty much unknown to the general history, and yet it looks like Lau and / or Tom Dolan's work was very important as being the first origin for LOR, rather than landing the Command Module. Andy Dingley (talk) 19:14, 7 March 2020 (UTC)
- Comment: This is looking promising. Needs a few bits polishing, then it should be good to go.* Refs - lose the bare URLs in favour of a better formatted citeSarrica (talk) 18:31, 7 March 2020 (UTC)Thanks for the clean-ups!* Close paraphrasing of some of the Vought biog needs copyeditingSarrica (talk) 18:51, 7 March 2020 (UTC)I've done some rewriting.* Some of the major projects need some expansion, or at least linking, to make their significance more obvious to the reader of this article. Andy Dingley (talk) 15:39, 7 March 2020 (UTC)
- Comment: When he joined them, did he join Chance Vought, Vought or some other form of the corporation's name? We shoud try to use the contemporaneous form. Andy Dingley (talk) 15:48, 7 March 2020 (UTC)
Sarrica (talk) 18:27, 7 March 2020 (UTC)The company was Chance Vought at the time.
Sarrica (talk) 18:31, 7 March 2020 (UTC)Project links are in the sidebar. Some are in the main body.
- Personally I repeat links like that in both body and infobox. Readers aren't good at finding links elsewhere!
- I've been trying to find good link targets for both MALLAR and the Light Attack Aircraft. We have various content under light fighter, but it's not quite the same. Andy Dingley (talk) 18:39, 7 March 2020 (UTC)
Sarrica (talk) 18:51, 7 March 2020 (UTC)Agreed. There isn't a good article for either. Once I get a hold of the Godwin book, I may go ahead and create a Project MALLAR page.
Conrad Lau | |
|---|---|
 Conrad Lau citizenship paperwork photo | |
| Born | Conrad Albert Lau February 8, 1921 Port-of-Spain, Trinidad |
| Died | April 18, 1964 (aged 43) |
| Resting place | Restland Memorial Park Dallas, TX |
| Education | Queen's Royal College Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Spouse | Nancy Page Lau |
| Children |
|
| Parent(s) | Mr. and Mrs. Egbert Lau |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Aeronautical engineering |
| Employer(s) | Chance Vought Aircraft Ling-Temco-Vought |
| Projects | |
Conrad Albert "Connie” Lau (February 8, 1921 – April 18, 1964) was an American aeronautical engineer, inventor, and executive. Lau led or contributed to the development of a number of important aircraft and spacecraft projects.
Early life
Conrad Lau was born on February 8, 1921 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, then part of the British West Indies, to Mr. and Mrs. Egbert Lau. He had three brothers: Neil, Roy and John.[1]
Lau attended school in Trinidad through his sophomore year at Queen's Royal College, transferring to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in his junior year. Lau received his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1942 and his master's degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1943.[2]
Career at Chance Vought
Lau joined the Chance Vought aircraft corporation upon graduation from MIT in 1943. He devoted his entire professional career to the company. He advanced from the position of Junior Aerodynamics Engineer to Director of the US Navy VAL Light Attack Aircraft program.
Lau made significant contributions to the US aircraft programs beginning with the F4U Corsair of World War II.
Crusader aircraft
Continuing with the F7U Cutlass and the F8U Crusader aircraft, Lau directed the Vought VAL Light Attack Aircraft Program. The program was Vought’s response to the US Navy’s request for a light attack aircraft based on an existing design to keep costs down. Vought’s design based on the F-8 Crusader won the competition and the A-7 Corsair II was born. The resulting A-7 series aircraft were supplied to both the US Navy and the US Air Force. Lau was one of three people named in US design patent 178,220, for the 'ornamental design' of the Crusader.[3]
Lau was the Chief Project Engineer on the Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III.
Apollo program
With Tom Dolan,[4] Lau played a key role in the early mission studies for the Apollo program.[5] They authored a critical January 1960 study, Technical Proposal for a Manned Modular Multi-Purpose Space Vehicle, which outlined Project MALLAR (Manned Lunar Landing and Return).[6] This was the first Lunar Orbit Rendezvous (LOR) mission profile: the Moon landing would be carried out by the very smallest lander module possible, with the main vehicle for flight to and from the Moon remaining in orbit.[7] The lander would then take-off from the Moon and rendezvous with the main vehicle before the crew returned to Earth. This was a change from previous 'direct ascent' profiles which had landed the main vehicle on the Moon, then required the take-off of a much heavier vehicle. LOR depended on a modular spacecraft concept, as would then be used for Apollo. NASA developed this with Command, Service and Lunar modules. This early work by engineers like Lau that helped to convince John Houbolt and others that LOR was the best way to get to the moon.[8][9]
Later life and death
Lau and his wife Nancy Page Lau had three children, Conrad, Jr., Sally and Michael.[1]
He was a charter member of the Dallas Ski Club and the Dallas Sailing Club. Lau studied music in his spare time and was an accomplished guitar player.
Conrad Lau died of cancer on April 18, 1964.[8]
Memberships
- Associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Advisory member of the NASA Committee on on Aerodynamics and Aircraft Design
- Member of Tau Beta Pi
See also
References
- ^ a b "Conrad Lau". Vought. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ "Conrad Lau (8th Feb 1921- 18th Apr 1964)". Chinese Icons. NIHERST. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ US 178220, "Airplane", published 10 July 1956
- ^ "Enchanted Rendezvous: The Lunar-Orbit Rendezvous Concept". SP-4308 SPACEFLIGHT REVOLUTION. NASA.
- ^ Godwin (2019).
- ^ "Conrad A. Lau – Aeronautical Engineer". Hack The Moon. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ Murray, Charles; Cox, Catherine Bly (1989). Apollo: The Race To The Moon. Secker & Warburg. pp. 113–115. ISBN 0-436-30224-1.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - ^ a b Robert Godwin (July 19, 2019). "The Forgotten Plans to Reach the Moon—Before Apollo". Air & Space. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ Mark Wolverton (November 6, 2019). "An MIT Engineer's Rediscovered Role in Lunar Landing History". Slice of MIT. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
Further reading
- Godwin, Robert (2019). Manned Lunar Landing And Return. Apogee Books. ISBN 978-1-926-83742-0.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)
External links
Category:1921 births
Category:1964 deaths
Category:American aerospace engineers