Leonardo da Vinci’s ornithopter design attempted to imitate a bird.
An ornithopter is an aircraft designed to fly by flapping wings. Leonardo studied bird anatomy, wing movement, and air currents while developing several human-powered flying-machine concepts. His sketches explored large wings operated by mechanisms connected to the pilot’s body.
Leonardo understood that birds generated lift and propulsion through coordinated wing movements, but the human body could not supply enough power for a practical flapping aircraft of his proposed size. His ornithopters therefore remained designs rather than successful flying machines.
This aircraft differs from Leonardo’s aerial screw. The ornithopter uses flapping wings, while the aerial screw uses rotary motion. Both belong to Leonardo’s larger investigation of how humans might achieve controlled flight.