Leonardo da Vinci studied an ornithopter, a flying machine intended to imitate the flapping wings of birds.
Leonardo filled notebooks with observations of birds, bats, and the mechanics of flight. His proposed machines used wings that would be moved by a person or by mechanical systems. He understood that flight required more than simply copying a bird’s shape; weight, balance, lift, and power were also crucial.
An ornithopter is different from a glider. A glider relies on aerodynamic lift while its wings remain fixed, whereas an ornithopter produces thrust by flapping wings. Leonardo never demonstrated a successful human-powered ornithopter.
His studies nevertheless helped connect artistic observation with mechanical analysis. Some surviving designs show that he gradually moved away from literal bird imitation and considered structures inspired by bats, whose wing membranes offered useful engineering ideas.