Harry Smith
Aerospace engineer bridging stability & control, wind tunnel testing, and system-of-systems optimization.
15+ years of experience from transonic experimental aerodynamics to eVTOL flight controls to division-wide decision platforms. Creator of intuitive analysis tools and IP-driven software that make S&C, aerodynamic, and mission-level data explorable — enabling rapid iteration, better design decisions, and competitive advantage.
Skills & Technologies
Programming & Environments
Optimization & Math
Data Science & Pipelines
Visualization & Frontend
Aerospace & Flight Dynamics
Theoretical Foundations
Experience
Lead Flight Physics & Optimization Engineer
Aurora Flight Sciences (Boeing)
Remote (USA → Germany)
Technical lead across flight dynamics, aerodynamics, and system-of-systems optimization for advanced aircraft programs.
- ▹eVTOL Stability & Control (Wisk Gen 6): Built and maintained aero/derivative databases for handling qualities analysis. Performed hover/transition S&C assessments and uncertainty propagation for certification-oriented analysis pathways.
- ▹LTA / Hybrid Airship Studies: Developed conceptual flight dynamics and buoyancy-control modeling to assess envelope sizing and vehicle controllability across loading conditions.
- ▹HSVTOL Concept Development: Ran aerodynamic trade studies and S&C envelope screening for tiltrotor-like concepts across low- and high-speed regimes.
- ▹De-cambering Method (Boeing): Developed aerodynamic correction workflow enabling 2D→3D lift prediction without full RANS. Adopted across programs and eliminated recurring expensive CFD campaigns.
- ▹Wind Tunnel / CFD Integration: Built automated data ingestion and visualization tools to unify NASA, CFD, and proprietary wind tunnel sources for S&C model construction.
- ▹PARADIGM Platform: Architected Boeing’s optimization and decision-analysis framework for infrastructure and fleet-level trade studies. Used for billion-dollar planning decisions and recognized internally for economic impact.
- ▹System-of-Systems Optimization: Built solver pipelines for routing, logistics capacity analysis, and mission-level trade studies using MILP / CP-SAT frameworks.
- ▹Mission Performance Modeling: Built parametric mission simulators and payload-range tools for eVTOL, LTA, and HSVTOL concepts with Monte Carlo uncertainty.
- ▹Interactive Engineering Dashboards: Built Python/TypeScript/React/Plotly tooling to make complex trade spaces explorable by non-technical stakeholders.
- ▹Certification-Facing Analysis Support: Produced stability, control margin, and worst-case performance assessments feeding into certification evidence chains (FAA/EASA pathways owned by partner team).
Industry Assistant Professor
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL
Teaching graduate aerospace courses with emphasis on practical application.
- ▹Taught graduate Flight Mechanics & Experimental Aerodynamics
- ▹Received the Provost's Teaching Award for excellence in graduate aerospace education
- ▹Founded aircraftflightmechanics.com — interactive teaching platform for S&C concepts used worldwide
Senior Aerodynamics Engineer & Business Development Manager
Aircraft Research Association
Bedford, UK
Technical authority for rotary- and fixed-wing testing in 30MW transonic tunnel.
- ▹Built high-fidelity DAQ (DynAMoS, 40 MHz) for aero/structural monitoring
- ▹Delivered experimental S&C data for Boeing, Northrop, and Raytheon
- ▹Blended tunnel and simulation results to support design and certification
- ▹Secured £10M+ in contracts through credible execution and customer engagement
Postgraduate Flight Mechanics Engineer
AgustaWestland
Yeovil, UK
Supported AW159 Wildcat certification.
- ▹Automated handling-qualities analysis to shorten design loops
Education
Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering
University of Glasgow
Dissertation: Optimization and Reduced-Order Modeling of Propellers at Incidence
M.Eng in Aeronautical Engineering
University of Glasgow
First Class (top of class)
Recognition & Achievements
- ▹Boeing Innovation Award (2023) — PARADIGM system-of-systems optimization platform
- ▹Provost's Teaching Award (2020) — IIT, excellence in graduate aerospace education
- ▹Cambridge Science Slam Winner (2013) — science communication
- ▹Media & Talks: BBC aerospace safety commentary, Airbus keynote, AIAA publications
What I Actually Do
Rotor & Propeller Aerodynamics
Deep expertise in non-axisymmetric inflow, yawed operation, unsteady loads, and wind tunnel validation. Identifying the physics others oversimplify.
Reduced-Order Modeling
OpenFOAM, SU2, and surrogate modeling techniques. Building reduced-order methods so early design decisions don't need week-long CFD runs.
Systems-Level Optimization
Discrete optimization, geospatial routing, techno-economic modeling. Linking aircraft performance to real-world infrastructure and logistics constraints.
Technical Education
Award-winning YouTube explainers. Interactive 3D demos. Turning "here's the equation" into "here's why the phenomenon exists."
Philosophy
Make complexity visual and explorable. If you can't interact with it and rotate it in 3D, you don't really understand it yet.
Build tools, not slide decks. Research should become software that people actually use, not just papers that cite each other.
Bridge the gaps. Rare combination: aerodynamicist ↔ optimization scientist ↔ product builder. High bandwidth between theory and shipped product.
Side Projects & Ventures
Deckide
Decision intelligence + data aggregation platform. Interactive trade-space reasoning that helps you understand multi-dimensional design decisions.
Decision Board • Data Viz • Trade AnalysisSayVault
Personal knowledge graph using NLP to turn scattered notes into structured reasoning. Your second brain, but actually useful.
Knowledge Graph • NLP • Personal ToolsPhilosophy: Turn engineering expertise into tools that feel like consumer software