Leonardo da Vinci designed an ornithopter, an aircraft intended to fly by flapping wings modeled on a bird’s anatomy.
Leonardo studied birds, bats, and the mechanics of flight in notebooks dating mainly from the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. His proposed machine used a human pilot to operate large wings through a system of levers, pedals, and pulleys. The design reflects his belief that understanding natural movement could guide engineering.
An ornithopter is not the same as a helicopter or a conventional airplane. It generates lift through repeated wing motion rather than a rotor or fixed wings. Leonardo’s machine was a concept, not a successfully tested aircraft, because human muscles cannot provide enough power for such a large flapping machine.
Leonardo also investigated gliding and rotary flight separately. His flight studies therefore include several different ideas rather than one finished invention. The ornithopter remains one of his best-known engineering concepts because it connects Renaissance anatomy, observation, and mechanical design.