Leonardo da Vinci designed an ornithopter, a flying machine intended to rise through the air by flapping wings. The term comes from Greek words meaning “bird” and “wing.”
Leonardo studied birds, bats, and the mechanics of wings extensively. His ornithopter sketches often show a person lying or standing inside a framework, using pedals, levers, and body movements to operate large wings.
The concept was inspired by biological flight, but human muscles cannot generate enough power to flap wings of the required size while also lifting the machine and pilot. Leonardo therefore never produced a practical powered ornithopter. Some of his later studies moved toward gliding and the use of fixed wings.
An ornithopter should not be confused with a glider, which relies on aerodynamic lift without flapping, or a helicopter, which uses rotating blades. Leonardo’s work remains important because he approached flight through observation, anatomical study, and mechanical experimentation.