Dedication for Bud Carson (February 2009)
Bud flew away to the heavens on February 15, 2009.
| Tuesday, February 24, 2009; Washington Post Obituary BERNARD H. CARSON 75 Professor Taught Generations of Naval Aviators Bernard
H. Carson, 75, a former professor of aerospace engineering at the U.S.
Naval Academy in Annapolis, died of renal failure Feb. 15 at BayWoods
of Annapolis assisted living center.
Dr. Carson taught at the Naval Academy for 31 years, educating generations of naval aviators. He was instrumental in building laboratories to support his students and their research, and was often found testing wing sections and propellers in the wind tunnels there. With several colleagues, he procured for the midshipmen a small plane that served as a flying laboratory. Dr. Carson's best-known research explained a formula for the speed at which an aircraft can maximize speed and minimize fuel consumption. Now known as the "Carson Speed," the benchmark has been used to evaluate a wide variety of aircraft and is useful in the design of fuel-efficient aircraft. The formula is also the basis for an annual competition. Bernard Hemphill Carson was born in Strattanville, Pa., and graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1955. He joined the Air Force and flew around the world as a copilot of the C-124 Globemaster heavy transport aircraft. He returned to Penn State, where he received a master's degree in the early 1960s and a doctorate in 1965 in aeronautical engineering. After a year-long postdoctoral fellowship, he was appointed to the Naval Academy faculty in 1966. He spent two years in England, serving as the Office of Naval Research's technical liaison to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and studying lighter-than-air vehicles. He later developed prototypes of heavy-lift vehicles for use in military and industrial applications. He received the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award upon his retirement in 1997. Dr. Carson built model airplanes and had a private pilot's license. His wife of 49 years, Shirley VanSant Carson, died in 2006. Survivors include two children, Scott Carson of Crofton and Anne Carson of Annapolis; two brothers; and two grandchildren. -- Patricia Sullivan |
 |
CARSON'S COCONUTS Paraphrased from an early MAXFAX Before reading any further, stop and take a peek at photo on the left. There you see the first FAC COCONUT and it's originator, Professor Bud Carson. The photo was in MAX-FAX many years ago when Bud proposed and named the event. Bud built many additional COCONUTS but the 'Spirit' is the one that will be remembered. It initiated the popular events at the Patuxent River indoor contest. It also generated similar interest around the country culminating in the COCONUT events at the National Indoor Meets. COCONUT fever was catching and we have Bud to thank for it's popularity. Bud's article "The Coconut Spirit" and plans for the 'Spirit' from an earlier MAX-FAX are reprinted below. Bud's techniques for building the Spirit and also some ideas concerning COCONUTS in generalare presented. |
 |
 |
| THE COCONUT SPIRIT Bud Carson "The interest generated by my 36" indoor scale SPirit of St. Louis at the November Pax River gala came as a pleasant surprise and I was quite pleased at all favorable comments it got. the model was designed for the sheer fun of it, and to this extent it was certainly successful, completing several dozen flawless flights to the delight of the crowd and the relief of the author, suffering nary a scratch or a blown motor. The idea came when I contemplated that magnificent flying sitesomething was needed that would fill up the room but do it in a survivable way. Thus-the Spirit was reincarnated in indoor trappings. As such it won't stand up to the rigors of outdoor flying, but on the hand , has proved remarkably resilient to the inevitable wall and rafter bashes that so often spell disaster to typical outdoor models when flown between four walls. During the initial trimming flights and before the correct amount of rudder ofset was established (which proved in the end to be far more than I would have thought necessary) the Spirit had its share of heartstopping encounters with the local terrain with nothing more than a split prop blade to show for it, proving once again that low inertia indoor model "crashes" tend to be rather leisurely affairs. I hope this example will encourage others to follow suit with their own versions, even though there are no official events for this class. In case there ever is, I have labled this category "coconut scale" in keeping with the familiar peanut and walnut scale categories, the coconut being the biggest nut of all, yours truly excepted. To help things along, I have put down some thoughts, realizing that the formidible Maxecuters are supurb modelers and need no instruction on basic technique. 1. For a first attempt, stick with the tried and true. I suggest a high-wing, externally braced configuration. Feel free to tinker with landing gear lenght, tail surface areas, and dihedral (all of which is allowed by FAC rules, incidentally) and make a working sketch or drawing before plunging into the actual construction. 2. Use Yoga, TM, or whatever suits to get yourself into an indoor mindset. Lightness not only spells endurance, it is the key to survivability; heavy models hit harder, and viceversa. Select wood carefully for strength and lightness, and resist the urge (which can be quite overpowering at times) to add unnecessary structure. Don't get caught in the weight-growth tangle. When in doubt, scrimp, obeying the aeronautical engineer's credo: simplify, and add lightness. Be especially careful about tail weight, which can be a real killer. A needless gram in the tail may easily require three more in the nose, to balance it, wiping out as lot of the "lightness'' that you have carefully "added" in-the rest of the structure. Remember that conventional models seem to have a lot of unproductive structure devoted to no other than to prevent warps, collapsed wing ribs, etc. caused by tissue tension. Since you won't be shrinking the tissue on flight surfaces, they can be made lighter than you are used to. The wings on the Spirit had only twelve 1/32" ribs and the trailing edge was 1/16" square. 3. Take full advantage of any bracing that appears on the prototype. The wings on the Spirit were very tender when framed up and downright floppy when covered, which meant that they were about right. When the struts were added, the wings became stiff enough to take the flight loads, but still retained enough resilience to survive a cartwheel without damage (try that with your 15 lb. RC scale job !) 4. Fashion bulky items such as wheels, dummy engines, nose blocks, etc. from foam. This not only saves weight but lowers their inertia so they remain attached during close encounters with immoveable objects. If the airplane is very light and the wheels are too, the whole landing gear assembly can be glued on to the lower longerons without benefit of weight-enhancing piano wire reinforcements. Coat wheels, etc. with Elmer's or Titebond to give them dent resistance, strength, and a good base for sanding and finishing. 5. As for covering and finishing: all flight surfaces on the Spirit were single-covered with white paper that had been presprayed with silver Rustoleum. The celebrated N-C-211 registration number was applied to the paper prior to covering using a large stencil coated with spray adesive, and sprayed black. The fuselage was covered and shrunk conventionally, and later sprayed directly without benefit of clear dope. As a result, I don't think there is more than a gram of paint on this model, which grossed out at just under 30 grams. Of course, tissue, magic markers, etc. can all be used, depending on the model. A light coat of clear acrylic on the raw paper will retard shrinkage and subsequent warping of the flying surfaces as humidity varies over time. 6. After much agonizing, I finally decided to attach the wings on the Spirit permanently since there seemed to be no way of maintaining rigidity with a detachable wing. This has worked out well, and losing trim each time the wing is removed is of no concern. Otherwise, a model of this type goes together quickly, and is well worth a try. I hope to see the "sky" blackened with coconuts next Spring when we return to Pax for another fun-packed day. Who will be the first to build a coconut trimotor pusher canard? Anyone for a mass launch?" BllC 11/11/86 |
