Leonardo da Vinci sketched a parachute as an aerodynamic device to slow a person’s descent from the air.
His design used a pyramid-shaped canopy supported by a wooden frame. Leonardo reasoned that a sufficiently large canopy could create resistance against the air and allow a person to descend safely. The idea appeared in his late 15th-century studies of flight and falling bodies.
Leonardo’s parachute was never demonstrated by him, and its heavy rigid frame would make it very different from a modern fabric parachute. In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nicholas tested a replica based on Leonardo’s drawing, reporting that it descended successfully before he moved to a conventional parachute for landing.
The principle is the same as in modern parachutes: air resistance reduces falling speed. Leonardo’s design should not be confused with a glider, which uses wings to travel forward and remain aloft rather than mainly slowing a descent.