What kind of glider did Leonardo da Vinci design with rigid wings?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a hang glider with rigid wings.

His aerial studies included a glider concept in which a human pilot would hang beneath a wing structure. The design was based on observations of birds and on Leonardo’s investigations of lift, balance, and the resistance of air. Unlike an ornithopter, it did not depend on flapping wings for propulsion.

The exact classification of Leonardo’s sketches can vary because he developed several flying-machine concepts rather than one standardized aircraft. A rigid-wing glider relies on forward motion through the air to generate lift, while a modern hang glider uses a flexible delta-shaped wing and a suspended pilot.

Leonardo did not demonstrate powered human flight. His drawings were important as studies of aerodynamics, but the materials, control systems, and power available in the fifteenth century were insufficient for a practical aircraft.