Leonardo da Vinci’s bird-inspired flapping aircraft was an ornithopter.
Leonardo studied birds and bats extensively while investigating human flight. His ornithopter designs used large wings that a pilot would move through a mechanical linkage powered by the arms and legs. The aim was to reproduce the flapping motion of a bird rather than rely on a fixed wing.
The word ornithopter means a flying machine that achieves lift through flapping wings. Leonardo’s drawings show that he understood the importance of lightweight structures, wing movement, and the relationship between air and flight, but the proposed human-powered machines were unlikely to generate enough lift.
This design should not be confused with Leonardo’s parachute, which slows a descent, or his glider studies, which use fixed wings. It is also separate from the aerial screw, a different rotating-aircraft concept. No Leonardo ornithopter is known to have flown successfully.