Leonardo da Vinci designed a parachute in 1485 to let a person descend slowly from great heights.
His drawing shows a pyramid-shaped wooden frame covered with linen cloth. Leonardo calculated that the structure would provide enough drag to support a person during a descent. The design was recorded in the Codex Atlanticus, a large collection of his notes and drawings.
Leonardo did not build or test this parachute, so it was a theoretical invention rather than a demonstrated flight device. The famous modern parachute has a flexible canopy, while Leonardo’s concept used a rigid frame and a tent-like surface.
A later reconstruction was tested successfully, although its heavy frame would make it less practical than modern parachutes. Leonardo’s design is therefore important mainly as an early attempt to apply mathematics and aerodynamics to controlled falling.