Leonardo da Vinci drew a parachute with a pyramid-shaped canopy intended to slow a person’s descent through the air.
His parachute appears in the Codex Atlanticus and is usually dated to around 1485. The design consisted of a rigid wooden frame covered with linen cloth, forming a broad pyramid. Leonardo wrote that a person could jump from a great height while remaining safe if the structure were appropriately sized, although he did not record a successful test.
The design is often credited as an early parachute concept, but it was not practical by modern standards because its rigid frame would have been heavy and dangerous. In 2000, British skydiver Adrian Nichols tested a modified version based on Leonardo’s drawing and reported that it worked, although he landed with a modern parachute for safety. Leonardo’s design should not be confused with his flying-machine studies.