Contact Professor Howard Smith
- Tel: +44 (0) 1234 758387
- Email: Howard.Smith@cranfield.ac.uk
- ORCID
Areas of expertise
- Aircraft Design
Background
Professor Howard Smith has particular interests in advanced aircraft configuration design, the design of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and aircraft static loads analysis. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Senior Member of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He was recently awarded a Boeing Welliver Faculty Fellowship, a position previously given to only one non-US citizen since 1995.
Current activities
Howard is head of the Aircraft Design Group at Cranfield University. His multidisciplinary team excels at the integration of technologies, such as structures, airframe systems and avionics, to find solutions to aviation related challenges such as the environment, defence and airline operations. He has been responsible for the creation of a wide range of innovative aircraft concept studies.
Howard currently teaches aircraft conceptual design and aircraft loads analysis to graduate students from all over the world. The unique approach to teaching emphasises learning and assessment through immersion in virtual industrial team projects. The scale of the projects initiated is probably unique in the academic world and attracts interest from aerospace manufacturers and operators alike.
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Martin R, Stockford J & Smith H. (2025). Impact of high-aspect-ratio wing aircraft concepts on conventional tricycle landing gear integration. SAE International Journal of Aerospace, 18(2)
- Zammit K, Smith H, Lobo NS & Giannopoulos IK. (2024). Vortex lattice CFD application and modeling validation for ground effect aircraft. WSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON FLUID MECHANICS, 19
- Zammit K, Smith H, Lobo NS & Giannopoulos IK. (2024). Bioinspired genetic-algorithm optimized ground-effect wing design: flight performance benefits and aircraft stability effects. WSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON FLUID MECHANICS, 19
- Taflan M, Smith H & Loughlan J. (2024). Structural sizing and mass estimation of transport aircraft wings with distributed, hydrogen, and electric propulsions. The Aeronautical Journal, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print)
- Kang L, Sun Y, Smith H & Mao J. (2023). The effects of the degree of hybridisation on the design of hybrid-electric aircraft considering the balance between energy efficiency and mass penalty. Aerospace, 10(2)
- Kang L, Sun Y & Smith H. (2022). MDAO method and optimum designs of hybrid-electric civil airliners. Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 35(4)
- Sun Y & Smith H. (2022). Conceptual design of sonic boom stealth supersonic transports. CEAS Aeronautical Journal, 13(2)
- Wei C, Lin G, Huang J, Song L & Smith H. (2022). Flight testing verification of lateral-directional dynamic stability of gliding birds due to wing dihedral. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 94(11)
- Sun Y & Smith H. (2021). Design and operational assessment of a low-boom low-drag supersonic business jet. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 236(1)
- Rajendran P & Smith H. (2020). Experimental analysis of small solar ummanned aerial vehicle to predict aerodynamic performance. INCAS BULLETIN, 12(4)
- Giannopoulos IK, Grafton K, Guo S & Smith H. (2020). Damage tolerance of CFRP airframe bolted joints in bearing, following bolt pull-through failure. Composites Part B: Engineering, 185
- Fernández AM & Smith H. (2020). Effect of a fuselage boundary layer ingesting propulsor on airframe forces and moments. Aerospace Science and Technology, 100
- Sun Y & Smith H. (2019). Low-boom low-drag solutions through the evaluation of different supersonic business jet concepts. The Aeronautical Journal, 124(1271)
- Sun Y & Smith H. (2019). Low-boom low-drag optimization in a multidisciplinary design analysis optimization environment. Aerospace Science and Technology, 94
- Sepulveda Palacios E & Smith H. (2019). Impact of mission requirements on the design of low observable UCAV configurations. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 91(10)
- Gomeza A & Smith H. (2019). Liquid hydrogen fuel tanks for commercial aviation: structural sizing and stress analysis. Aerospace Science and Technology, 95
- Rajendran P & Smith H. (2018). Experimental Assessment of Various Batteries and Propellers for Small Solar-Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Journal of Engineering and Technological Sciences, 50(3)
- Sepulveda E, Smith H & Sziroczak D. (2018). Multidisciplinary analysis of subsonic stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicles. CEAS Aeronautical Journal, 10(2)
- Smith H, Sziroczak D, Abbe G & Okonkwo P. (2018). The GENUS aircraft conceptual design environment. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 233(8)
- Rajendran P & Smith H. (2018). Development of design methodology for a small solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle. International Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 2018(1)
- Rajendran P & Smith H. (2018). Sensitivity analysis of design parameters of a small solar-powered electric unmanned aerial vehicle. Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 13(12)
- Rajendran P & Smith H. (2018). Experimental Study of Solar Module & Maximum Power Point Tracking System under Controlled Temperature Conditions. International Journal on Advanced Science, Engineering and Information Technology, 8(4)
- Sepulveda Palacios E & Smith H. (2017). Technology challenges of stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicles. The Aeronautical Journal, 121(1243)
- Sun Y & Smith H. (2016). Review and prospect of supersonic business jet design. Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 90(April)
- Sziroczak D & Smith H. (2016). A review of design issues specific to hypersonic flight vehicles. Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 84(July)
- Rajendran P & Smith H. (2016). Modelling of solar irradiance and daylight duration for solar-powered UAV sizing. Energy Exploration & Exploitation, 34(2)
- Abbe G & Smith H. (2016). Technological development trends in Solar‐powered Aircraft Systems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 60
- Okonkwo P & Smith H. (2016). Review of evolving trends in blended wing body aircraft design. Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 82
- Rajendran P & Smith H. (2015). Review of Solar and Battery Power System Development for Solar-Powered Electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Advanced Materials Research, 1125
- Rajendran P & Smith H. (2015). Future Trend Analysis on the Design and Performance of Solar-Powered Electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Advanced Materials Research, 1125
- Rajendran P & Smith H. (2015). Implications of longitude and latitude on the size of solar-powered UAV. Energy Conversion and Management, 98
- Manzanera RAJ & Smith H. (2015). Flight in nature I: Take-off in animal flyers. The Aeronautical Journal, 119(1213)
- Manzanera RAJ & Smith SH. (2015). Flight in nature II: How animal flyers land. The Aeronautical Journal, 119(1213)
- Smith H. (2014). Airframe integration for an LH2 hybrid-electric propulsion system. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 86(6)
- Linares C, Lawson CP & Smith H. (2013). Multidisciplinary optimisation framework for minimum rotorcraft fuel and air pollutants at mission level. The Aeronautical Journal, 117(1193)
- Fielding JP, Mills A & Smith H. (2010). Design and manufacture of the DEMON unmanned air vehicle demonstrator vehicle. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 224(4)
- Chudoba B, Coleman G, Smith H & Cook MV. (2008). Generic stability and control for aerospace flight vehicle conceptual design. The Aeronautical Journal, 112(1132)
- Smith H. (2007). A review of supersonic business jet design Issues. The Aeronautical Journal, 111(1126)
- Smith H. (2007). The self-regenerating engineering design course: A top-down approach. International Journal of Engineering Education, 23(1)
- Smith H. (2001). U‐99 uninhabited tactical aircraft preliminary systems design. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 73(3)
- Smith H. (2001). U‐99 uninhabited tactical aircraft preliminary structural design. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 73(1)
- Smith H. (1997). Advanced short take‐off vertical landing combat aircraft: part 2 ‐ the powerplant installation. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 69(1)
- Smith H. (1997). Systems design for an advanced short take‐off vertical landing combat aircraft ‐ Part 3. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 69(2)
- Smith H. (1996). A virtual industrial environment. Engineering Designer, 22(5)
- Smith H. (1996). The structural design of an advanced short take‐off vertical landing combat aircraft — part 1. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 68(6)
