What powered flying-machine concept did Leonardo da Vinci design using a pilot’s legs and arms to turn wings?

Leonardo da Vinci’s human-powered flying-machine concept was a human-powered ornithopter.

Leonardo developed several flapping-wing designs in which a pilot would use bodily force to move the wings. Some drawings show the pilot lying down and operating pedals, handles, or connecting rods. The machines were inspired by birds but relied on a mechanical interpretation of wing beats rather than simply copying anatomy.

The concept could not provide enough lift and thrust for sustained human flight. A person’s muscles can power a small aircraft only under carefully optimized conditions, while a large flapping machine would require much more energy. Leonardo’s designs therefore remained speculative, but they reveal a systematic attempt to connect anatomy, leverage, and air movement. This concept should not be confused with his separate glider studies, which used fixed wings and depended on rising air rather than continuous flapping.