Flight physics
Stability and control, aero derivatives, wind-tunnel data, certification-facing analysis.
About
Harry Smith, aerospace engineer and reluctant simplifier.
I work where flight physics, optimization, and software meet: stability and control, wind-tunnel data, reduced-order modelling, and tools that help people make better engineering decisions.
Aeronauty is where I keep public experiments and longer explanations. It is a workshop more than a portfolio: useful things, sharp edges, and enough context to understand why a tool exists.
Optimization
MILP, CP-SAT, routing, capacity planning, mission and infrastructure trade studies.
Software
Python, TypeScript, React, Rust, SQL, data pipelines, interactive engineering interfaces.
Communication
Technical writing, teaching, dashboards, demos, and making hidden assumptions inspectable.
Experience
The through-line.
Mostly aircraft, mostly decisions, mostly turning messy engineering data into something people can reason with.
2021-present
Lead Flight Physics & Optimization Engineer
Aurora Flight Sciences / Boeing
Flight dynamics, aerodynamics, and system-of-systems optimization for advanced aircraft programs, including eVTOL, LTA, HSVTOL, and decision-analysis platforms.
2018-2021
Industry Assistant Professor
Illinois Institute of Technology
Graduate flight mechanics and experimental aerodynamics, with a bias toward interactive tools and practical understanding.
2014-2018
Senior Aerodynamics Engineer
Aircraft Research Association
Rotary- and fixed-wing testing in a 30 MW transonic tunnel, data systems, and customer-facing technical delivery.
2010-2011
Postgraduate Flight Mechanics Engineer
AgustaWestland
Handling-qualities automation and certification support for AW159 Wildcat work.
Recognition
- Boeing Innovation Award for PARADIGM system-of-systems optimization work.
- Provost's Teaching Award at IIT for graduate aerospace education.
- PhD in Aerospace Engineering, University of Glasgow.
- MEng in Aeronautical Engineering, University of Glasgow.