Leonardo da Vinci’s conical descent device is recognized as an early parachute design.
Leonardo described and illustrated the device in the Codex Atlanticus around 1485. His notes proposed a sealed linen canopy supported by wooden poles, forming a pyramid-like structure. He reasoned that a person could descend from a height without injury if the canopy had sufficient width and depth.
The design was never tested by Leonardo, and it differed substantially from modern parachutes, which use flexible fabric canopies and suspension lines. Its importance lies in the clear connection between a broad air-catching surface and controlled descent. In 2000, British adventurer Adrian Nicholas built and tested a replica based on Leonardo’s measurements, reporting that it worked but was too difficult to steer safely near the ground.
Leonardo’s parachute is often discussed alongside his flying machines, but it solved a different problem. The aerial screw and ornithopter sought lift or flight; the parachute design sought to reduce the speed of a fall.