Leonardo da Vinci sketched a pyramid-shaped parachute as a device for descending safely from great heights.
His drawing appears in the Codex Atlanticus and is generally dated to around 1485. The design consists of a rigid pyramid-like frame covered with cloth. Leonardo reasoned that the structure would trap air and slow a person’s fall, applying geometric thinking to a problem that had not yet been solved experimentally.
The sketch did not lead to a documented flight during Leonardo’s lifetime. In 2000, British adventurer Adrian Nicholas built and tested a full-scale version based on the drawing. The test showed that the design could descend successfully, although its rigid frame made it potentially dangerous near the ground.
Leonardo’s parachute was not a modern round canopy. It also differs from a glider, which is designed for controlled horizontal movement. The sketch is significant because it presents a clear early engineering proposal for controlled vertical descent.