What type of weapon did Leonardo da Vinci design with a bow over 24 metres wide?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a giant crossbow with a bow about 24 metres wide.

The weapon appears in Leonardo’s drawings from the late 15th century. He intended it as a dramatic siege weapon, with a very large bow mounted on a wheeled frame. A mechanical system would draw back the string and help release the bolt, because a person could not operate such a bow by hand.

The design emphasizes psychological impact as well as destructive power. Leonardo’s patron, Ludovico Sforza, wanted impressive military technology, and the giant crossbow fit that purpose. However, the weapon was a proposal rather than a documented battlefield success.

The giant crossbow is sometimes confused with the ancient ballista, another large missile weapon. Both use tension-based launching principles, but Leonardo’s design was a Renaissance machine with its own frame and mechanisms. Its enormous scale also made practical construction and accurate operation difficult.