Leonardo da Vinci’s 1487 flying-machine design based on the flapping wings of a bird is commonly called an ornithopter.
The word ornithopter means a flying machine that gains lift and propulsion by flapping wings. Leonardo studied birds, bats, and the mechanics of flight, then drew several designs using frames, wings, pedals, and levers. His concepts were intended for human flight, but the available materials and human muscle power could not provide enough energy to lift the machine.
Leonardo’s drawings are associated with the Codex Atlanticus and other notebooks. Some designs used rigid wing structures inspired by bats rather than feathers. He also understood that weight, balance, and air resistance were central engineering problems, even though he lacked modern aerodynamic testing.
An ornithopter is not the same as a glider, which depends mainly on existing air currents and forward motion. Leonardo’s work helped make flight a subject of systematic mechanical study, but no evidence shows that he successfully flew one of these machines.