How wide was Leonardo da Vinci’s giant crossbow design?

Leonardo da Vinci’s giant crossbow design was 24 metres wide.

Leonardo drew the weapon around 1490 as an enormous siege device. Its scale was intended to create a powerful psychological and physical effect, while a large winch would draw back the bowstring. The design included six wheels so that the machine could be moved and positioned.

The giant crossbow is generally treated as an ambitious design rather than a proven battlefield weapon. Its enormous bow would have created serious problems involving material strength, string tension, aiming, and practical transport. Leonardo’s drawings often explored possibilities at the boundary between engineering study and military invention.

It should not be confused with his multi-barrel organ gun or his spring-powered stone thrower. Those designs used different launching systems and served different tactical purposes.