Leonardo da Vinci’s proposed aircraft with flapping wings is called an ornithopter.
The word ornithopter comes from Greek roots meaning “bird” and “wing.” Leonardo studied birds, bats, and the mechanics of flight while developing several flying-machine concepts. His ornithopter drawings imagined a pilot producing lift through large wings that moved up and down, rather than through a propeller or rotary wing.
Leonardo made many observations about air resistance, balance, wings, and the movements of birds. Some of his designs placed a person inside a frame and used pedals, levers, or arm power to operate the wings. Human muscle power, however, is not sufficient to lift a person with the wing arrangements he proposed.
An ornithopter is not the same as the aerial screw. The aerial screw sought lift from rotation, while an ornithopter seeks lift from flapping wings. Modern ornithopters have flown as small aircraft or models, but Leonardo’s full-scale proposals were never built into successful manned machines.