Leonardo da Vinci sketched a parachute in 1485 as a fabric pyramid designed to slow a person’s fall.
His drawing described a linen canopy supported by poles, forming a pyramid roughly 7.2 metres wide and 7.2 metres high. Leonardo reasoned that the structure would provide enough air resistance for a person to descend safely.
The design was never tested during Leonardo’s lifetime, and it was not a practical modern parachute. Its rigid pyramid shape differs from the flexible canopies used today, which are usually made from lightweight synthetic fabric.
In 2000, British adventurer Adrian Nichols built and tested a replica based on Leonardo’s sketch. It descended successfully, although Nichols used a modern parachute for safety after concerns about controlling the heavy wooden frame.