Leonardo da Vinci designed an ornithopter as a human-powered flying machine with flapping wings.
The word ornithopter comes from Greek roots meaning “bird” and “wing.” Leonardo studied birds extensively and tried to apply their wing movements to a machine powered by a person’s arms and legs. His drawings show a framework with large wings, pedals, and a system of rods intended to transfer the pilot’s motion to the wings.
Leonardo’s ornithopter was a design, not a successfully tested aircraft. Human muscles cannot provide enough sustained power for a practical flapping-wing machine of this scale. This is different from Leonardo’s air screw, which used a rotating helical surface and is often described as an early helicopter concept. Modern ornithopters use engines or other mechanical power, while Leonardo’s proposal relied on the pilot.