Leonardo da Vinci’s 1485 parachute design used a pyramid-shaped canopy.
Leonardo recorded the concept in the Codex Atlanticus, describing a linen canopy supported by a wooden framework. His note suggested that a person could descend safely from a great height with a structure about 12 braccia wide and 12 braccia deep. The design was not a modern fabric parachute: its rigid, pyramid-like frame would have made it bulky and difficult to control.
Leonardo’s parachute is often described as an invention, but there is no evidence that he built or tested it. The idea belongs to his broader study of falling bodies, air resistance, and human flight. In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nichols built and tested a full-scale interpretation using modern materials. It descended successfully, although Nichols released it at a low altitude because the heavy structure was considered dangerous to land with.
The design is sometimes confused with Leonardo’s aerial screw, which addressed powered ascent rather than descent. Both drawings show his interest in applying mechanical structures to flight centuries before aviation became practical.