Conrad Albert 'Connie' Lau (February 8, 1921 – April 18, 1964) was an American

aeronautical Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of air flight–capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. The British Royal Aeronautical Society identifies ...

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 Port of Spain (Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a municip ...

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, then part of the British West Indies, to Mr. and Mrs. Egbert Lau. He had three brothers: Neil, Roy and John. Lau attended school in Trinidad through his sophomore year at Queen's Royal College, transferring to the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

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.

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 The Vought F7U Cutlass is a United States Navy carrier-based jet fighter and fighter-bomber of the early Cold War era. It was a tailless aircraft for which aerodynamic data from projects of the German Arado and Messerschmitt companies, obtained ...

and the

F8U Crusader The Vought F-8 Crusader (originally F8U) is a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft built by Vought for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps (replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass), and for the Fren ...

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. Lau was the Chief Project Engineer on the

Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III The Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III was an aircraft developed by Chance Vought as a successor to the successful Vought F-8 Crusader program and as a competitor to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.Tillman 1990 Though based in spirit on the F8U-1 a ...

Apollo program

With

Tom Dolan Thomas Fitzgerald Dolan (born September 15, 1975) is an American former competition swimmer, two-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. Dolan grew up in Arlington, Virginia. He attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, wh ...

, Lau played a key role in the early mission studies for the Apollo program. They authored a critical January 1960 study, ''Technical Proposal for Manned Multi Modular Spacecraft (Project MALLAR)'', which outlined Project MALLAR (Manned Lunar Landing and Return). 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. 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

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and

Lunar module The Apollo Lunar Module (LM ), originally designated the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), was the lunar lander spacecraft that was flown between lunar orbit and the Moon's surface during the United States' Apollo program. It was the first crewed ...

s. This early work by engineers like Lau helped to convince John Houbolt and others that LOR was the best way to get to the moon.

Personal life and death

Lau and his wife Nancy Page Lau had three children, Conrad, Jr., Sally and Michael. 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.

Memberships

*Associate fellow of the

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is a professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA is the U.S. representative on the International Astronautical Federation and the International Council of ...

*Advisory member of the NASA Committee on Aerodynamics and Aircraft Design *Member of

Tau Beta Pi The Tau Beta Pi Association (commonly Tau Beta Pi, , or TBP) is the oldest engineering honor society and the second oldest collegiate honor society in the United States. It honors engineering students in American universities who have shown a ...

References

External links

Conrad Albert "Connie" Lau.

Project MALLAR video.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lau, Conrad 1921 births 1964 deaths American aerospace engineers Alumni of Queen's Royal College, Trinidad MIT School of Engineering alumni Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United States Deaths from cancer in Texas