Leonardo da Vinci’s conical canopy design was a parachute.
Around 1485, Leonardo drew a pyramid-shaped canopy supported by a wooden frame. His notes proposed that a person could jump from a height while the structure slowed the descent. The design is commonly treated as an early parachute concept because it uses a canopy to create air resistance.
Leonardo did not test the device, and his drawing was not a complete modern engineering specification. The proposed canopy was rigidly framed and much less compact than later fabric parachutes. Its dimensions have nevertheless allowed modern experimenters to construct replicas.
In 2000, British adventurer Adrian Nichols tested a replica based on Leonardo’s design. It descended successfully, although Nichols switched to a conventional parachute before landing for safety. Leonardo’s sketch therefore anticipated the basic principle of parachuting, while modern parachutes use flexible fabric, suspension lines, and controlled deployment.