What is the name of Leonardo's design for a large-scale crossbow?

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What is the name of Leonardo’s design for a large-scale crossbow? It is the Giant crossbow, Leonardo’s proposed oversized siege weapon. The design appears in the Codex Atlanticus, a collection of Leonardo’s engineering drawings and notes.

Leonardo developed the concept during his first Milanese period, generally placing the drawings between about 1483 and the early 1490s. The project was associated with Ludovico Sforza, the powerful ruler of Milan, whom Leonardo hoped to serve as an engineer and military designer. Leonardo presented himself as capable of devising bridges, fortifications, artillery, and other machines.

The giant crossbow was intended to increase the range and power of its ammunition. Unlike a normal handheld crossbow, it was conceived as a massive, wheeled machine that could launch large stones or explosive projectiles. Descriptions of the design give it a span of roughly 27 yards and six wheels, although it was never built by Leonardo.

The giant crossbow is often confused with Leonardo’s rapid-fire crossbow, a separate infantry weapon designed with a faster spanning mechanism. The two belong to the same broader group of crossbow studies, but “Giant crossbow” specifically identifies the enormous mounted siege design.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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