Leonardo da Vinci designed an ornithopter for human-powered flight by flapping wings.
An ornithopter is an aircraft intended to fly by moving wings up and down, imitating birds, bats, or insects. Leonardo studied bird anatomy and flight extensively and proposed several machines with large wings operated by a person’s arms, legs, or both.
His drawings show that he understood important aerodynamic ideas, including the need for lift and the usefulness of a lightweight structure. However, human muscles cannot provide enough sustained power to flap wings large enough to carry a person. Leonardo’s ornithopters therefore remained designs rather than successful aircraft.
The word comes from Greek roots meaning “bird” and “wing.” It is not the same as a glider: a glider has fixed wings and gains lift by moving through air, while an ornithopter seeks lift through flapping. Modern experimental ornithopters use motors or other power sources, though they remain uncommon compared with conventional airplanes.