Norman Wood
Wellington,Somerset
Summary
Motivated professional with expertise in leadership and innovation, possessing extensive experience across a broad range of aerospace disciplines, including aerodynamics, aircraft stability, avionics, performance, design, manufacturing and systems integration. Committed to leveraging skills to drive advancements in aerospace technology and contribute to cutting-edge projects.
Experienced researcher with focus on advanced scientific studies and interdisciplinary projects. Capable of driving innovative research initiatives and delivering impactful results through strong foundation in analytical methods and collaborative teamwork. Skilled in synthesising complex data and presenting findings to diverse audiences.
Expert in sustainability initiatives within aviation, focusing on innovative solutions to combat global climate challenges.
Overview
45
45
years of professional experience
Work history
Consultant
Macromia Aviation Ltd
Wellington, Somerset
08.2025 - Current
Available to advise and consult on a wide variety of aviation topics including the use of hydrogen and cryogenics to deliver true zero emission flight.
Technical Fellow: Aircraft Architecture and Design
GKN Aerospace
Bristol
07.2021 - 07.2025
I built an overall aircraft design capability that previously did not exist in GKN. My team developed hydrogen fuel cell aircraft concepts that were sufficiently detailed so as to identify requirements for all the internal components of the powertrain.
Our aircraft concepts have received worldwide attention as we have extended the payload and range capability towards a single aisle replacement aircraft.
Expert: Aerodynamics and Flow Control
Airbus Operations Ltd
Bristol
09.2005 - 01.2019
Led numerous international and UK based research programmes culminating with the BLADE laminar flow demonstrator activity funded by Clean Sky 1.
Identified, conducted and analysed numerous flight test activities on the majority of the Airbus portfolio. Tests were constructed to identify the root cause of a variety of in-service and developmental issues.
Beyer Professor of Aerospace Engineering
University of Manchester
Manchester
10.1996 - 08.2005
Led the Manchester School of Engineering for 6 years and successfully completed an improvement in the RAE rating up to Grade 5 within that period.
Led a unique research group that developed novel control effectors for aircraft and a number of innovative flow control concepts.
Designed and implemented a new undergraduate degree programme that focused on Problem Based Learning.
Senior research associate
Stanford University
Stanford, California
08.1980 - 12.1988
Designed and conducted numerous wind tunnel campaigns in conjunction with NASA Ames Research Centre.
Co-supervised PhD students within the Department of Aero/Astro at Stanford.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy - Aerodynamics of Circulation Control Aerofoils
University of Bath
Bath 10.1976 - 07/1981
Bachelor of Science - Aerospace Engineering
University of Bath
Bath 09.1971 - 06/1975
Skills
Leadership of small technical teams up to an entire academic department of 1000 students
- Principal investigator experience
- Decision-Making
- Change implementation
Innovation: in excess of 25 patents have been granted across a wide range of topics
Experience across a broad range of aerospace disciplines including aerodynamics, aircraft stability, avionics, performance, design and systems integration
- Subject Matter Expertise
Supervision of numerous PhD programmes
Skilled presenter with the ability to communicate complex concepts to audiences from Junior school age pupils (STEM) to large international conferences and funding agencies
- Influential speaker
Problem solving: able to identify the root cause of complex multi-disciplinary issues at an aircraft level often from limited data sets
Affiliations
- I am a keen gardener who also enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and fishing.
Accomplishments
I have published in excess of 100 Journal articles and conference papers. A full list is available on request.
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Consultant
Macromia Aviation Ltd
08.2025 - Current
Technical Fellow: Aircraft Architecture and Design
GKN Aerospace
07.2021 - 07.2025
Expert: Aerodynamics and Flow Control
Airbus Operations Ltd
09.2005 - 01.2019
Beyer Professor of Aerospace Engineering
University of Manchester
10.1996 - 08.2005
Senior research associate
Stanford University
08.1980 - 12.1988
Doctor of Philosophy - Aerodynamics of Circulation Control Aerofoils
University of Bath
10.1976 - 07/1981
Bachelor of Science - Aerospace Engineering
University of Bath
09.1971 - 06/1975