Leonardo da Vinci’s rotating-blade flying device was called the aerial screw.
Leonardo drew the aerial screw around 1489, during his intensive studies of flight and the movement of air. The design shows a large helical rotor made from reeds, linen, and wire, supported by a circular wooden frame. Leonardo reasoned that the helical surface could “screw” upward through the air if turned rapidly.
The aerial screw is often described as an early helicopter concept, but it was not a working helicopter. Its materials, human-powered mechanism, and large size would not have provided enough lift with Renaissance technology. The design also lacks the control systems and powered rotor arrangement used by modern helicopters.
Leonardo’s drawing belongs to a broader group of flight studies, including parachutes, wings, and ornithopters. The aerial screw is therefore important mainly as a conceptual milestone: it shows Leonardo imagining vertical flight centuries before practical powered helicopters appeared.