Leonardo da Vinci’s screw-shaped machine intended to rise through the air is commonly called the aerial screw.
Leonardo drew the design in the Codex Atlanticus around 1489. It shows a large helical surface wrapped around a central mast, with a platform and people turning mechanisms beneath it. Leonardo reasoned that the rotating screw might push against the air and produce lift.
The machine was not built or flown in the Renaissance. Its appearance has led to comparisons with the modern helicopter, but the comparison has limits. A helicopter uses powered rotating blades, aerodynamic lift, and a controllable rotor system; Leonardo’s proposal lacked a practical engine and a demonstrated method of stable control.
The aerial screw is one of Leonardo’s best-known aviation concepts because it presents a clear attempt to explain vertical flight mechanically. It belongs to a broader group of sketches that also included wings, gliders, and parachute-like devices. These studies show Leonardo investigating air as a medium that machines could push against.