What did Leonardo da Vinci design in the 1480s that is often called the first mechanical parachute?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a pyramidal parachute in the 1480s.

His drawing shows a rigid wooden frame covered with linen, forming a pyramid about seven metres high and seven metres wide. Leonardo reasoned that the structure would let a person descend safely through the air, although he did not record a full-scale test.

The design appears in the Codex Atlanticus and is usually discussed as an early theoretical parachute rather than a practical flying machine. Its shape differs from modern parachutes, which use flexible canopies and suspension lines. Leonardo’s idea was based on air resistance: a broad surface would oppose a falling body and slow its descent.

A 2000 experiment by British adventurer Adrian Nicholas tested a replica and reported that it could produce a controlled descent, although he switched to a modern parachute near the ground for safety. The result did not prove Leonardo’s exact materials or construction were ideal, but it showed that the basic aerodynamic principle was plausible.