Leonardo da Vinci studied an ornithopter, a flying machine intended to stay aloft by flapping wings.
The word ornithopter comes from Greek roots meaning “bird-wing.” Leonardo examined birds, bats, and the mechanics of wing movement in order to understand how a human-made machine might fly. His sketches show several proposed mechanisms in which a pilot would power or control wings through pedals, levers, and other linkages.
Leonardo understood that human muscles alone could not provide enough power for a large flapping aircraft. He nevertheless continued studying flight because the problem connected anatomy, mechanics, balance, air resistance, and observation of nature. His research produced important drawings of wings and airflow even though it did not produce a successful aircraft.
An ornithopter differs from a glider, which remains airborne with fixed wings, and from an airplane, whose fixed wings generate lift while engines provide thrust. Leonardo’s flapping-wing studies were influential as ideas, not as proven flight machines.