Leonardo da Vinci designed an ornithopter with wings intended to flap like a bird’s.
The word ornithopter comes from Greek roots meaning “bird” and “wing.” Leonardo studied bird anatomy and flight, then proposed machines in which human-powered mechanisms would move wings up and down. Some drawings show a pilot lying or standing within a framework connected to the wings.
Leonardo’s ornithopters were not powered aircraft that successfully flew. Human muscles cannot provide enough sustained power to lift a large machine of the proposed type, and the wings lacked the lightweight structure and control systems needed for practical flight. Modern ornithopters can fly as small models, often using motors or elastic power.
The ornithopter is distinct from Leonardo’s aerial screw and parachute. The aerial screw aims at vertical lift through rotation, while the parachute slows descent. The ornithopter instead attempts powered, bird-like flapping flight.