What motion powered Leonardo da Vinci’s ornithopter concept?

Leonardo da Vinci’s ornithopter concept was powered by flapping wings. He studied birds and bats and designed several flying machines with wings that would rise and fall in imitation of animal flight.

Leonardo understood that human muscles alone were unlikely to produce enough power for a large machine, but he continued investigating wing shapes, joints, and control mechanisms. His sketches include frameworks operated by a person using pedals, handles, or other mechanical linkages. These designs were not successful aircraft, yet they represented a serious attempt to analyze flight through observation and engineering.

An ornithopter is any aircraft intended to fly by flapping wings. It differs from a helicopter, which uses rotating blades, and from a glider, which relies on lift without powered flapping.

No evidence shows that Leonardo’s ornithopter flew with a person aboard. His work nevertheless influenced later discussions of human flight and biomimetic engineering.