Desmond Norman

Who was Desmond Norman?

Nigel Desmond Norman, CBE, was an aircraft designer and aviation pioneer. Born in London on 13 August 1929, Norman co-founded Britten-Norman in 1954 was awarded a CBE in 1970, was chairman and managing director of AeroNorTec. With his longtime friend and business partner John Britten, he also designed, built and sailed racing yachts, as well as a series of air cushion vehicles and crop spraying equipment. He died of a heart attack at Basingstoke railway station, in Hampshire on 13 November 2002.

Norman's grandfather was Sir Henry Norman, 1st Baronet, a Liberal politician, and his family held title in the title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom.