Leonardo da Vinci designed an armored tank with a conical armored body.
His fighting vehicle, drawn around 1487–1489, resembled a covered platform or tortoise. Sloping armor protected the crew, while several light cannons projected through openings around the vehicle’s perimeter. The machine was intended to move using hand-operated cranks connected to wheels.
The design is commonly called Leonardo’s tank, although it was not a modern tank and was never built for Renaissance warfare. A frequently repeated story says Leonardo deliberately inserted a gearing error to prevent others from using the invention, but historians debate whether the mismatch was intentional or simply a drawing or interpretation problem.
The vehicle combined protection, mobility, and all-round firepower—features later associated with armored fighting vehicles. Its practical limitations included heavy construction, difficult steering, and insufficient power for rough terrain.