Leonardo da Vinci’s fighting vehicle was a human-powered armored tank with cannon openings.
Leonardo designed the vehicle around 1487 for military use. Its broad, conical cover was made from wooden plates reinforced with metal, giving the machine a turtle-like appearance. Small cannons projected through openings around the lower edge, allowing occupants to fire in several directions while protected by the armor.
The vehicle was meant to move using cranks connected to wheels, operated by people inside. A frequently repeated story says Leonardo deliberately reversed the gears so the tank could not work, perhaps to keep the design secret. Historians debate that claim; the surviving drawing contains mechanical difficulties, but there is no secure proof that sabotage was intentional.
No evidence shows that Leonardo’s tank was built or used in battle. The design is therefore a military concept rather than a deployed historical tank. Modern tanks use engines, tracks, and rotating turrets, features absent from Leonardo’s proposal.