Leonardo da Vinci proposed a pyramid-shaped parachute canopy in 1485.
His sketch shows a rigid-looking, open-based pyramid covered with cloth. Leonardo reasoned that the structure would provide enough surface area to slow a person's descent, even though he did not record a documented test flight.
The design is often called an early parachute concept, but it was not the first practical parachute. Modern parachutes generally use flexible, curved canopies that inflate in moving air. Leonardo's proposal differs because its pyramid would have relied on a framed form rather than an automatically opening fabric canopy.
A full-size replica was built and tested by Adrian Nichols in 2000. Nichols reported that it descended successfully, although he used a modern parachute as a safety measure. The famous drawing therefore represents an important theoretical step in parachute history, not a proven Renaissance aviation device.