What type of parachute did Leonardo da Vinci sketch in 1485?
Answer
Pyramidal parachute
Leonardo da Vinci sketched a pyramidal parachute in 1485.
His design used a large linen canopy stretched over a wooden frame. The pyramid-like structure was intended to slow a person's fall by creating air resistance, centuries before practical parachutes were developed.
Leonardo did not record a successful test of this design. The concept is often confused with modern round parachutes, which use a different canopy shape and suspension system.
In 2000, British balloonist Adrian Nicholas tested a full-size reconstruction based on Leonardo's drawing. The reconstructed parachute descended successfully, although Nicholas opened a modern parachute before landing because the rigid historical design could be dangerous near the ground.