What name is given to Leonardo da Vinci’s proposed birdlike flying machine?

Leonardo da Vinci’s proposed birdlike flying machine is called an ornithopter.

An ornithopter is an aircraft intended to fly by flapping wings, imitating birds, bats, or insects. Leonardo studied bird anatomy and flight and produced several sketches of machines with large wings operated by a human pilot through pedals, levers, and other mechanisms.

His ornithopter concepts were never completed as practical aircraft. Human muscles cannot provide enough power for a pilot-sized flapping machine, and the materials and controls available in the fifteenth century were inadequate for the task. Leonardo’s studies nevertheless helped connect mechanical design with close observation of nature.

The term ornithopter is broader than Leonardo’s work: it describes any flapping-wing aircraft, including later experimental machines. It should not be confused with the aerial screw, which sought vertical lift through a rotating helical surface.