Leonardo da Vinci designed ornithopters to imitate a bird’s flapping motion.
An ornithopter is an aircraft that generates lift by flapping wings rather than by using fixed wings or a conventional rotor. Leonardo studied birds and bats extensively, hoping that a human-powered machine could reproduce their flight.
His notebooks contain several wing designs and mechanisms, including plans in which a pilot would use pedals and levers to move large wings. These machines were never proven capable of carrying a person, because human muscles cannot produce enough sustained power for bird-like flight at that scale.
Leonardo’s work nevertheless contributed to the study of flight by emphasizing wing shape, balance, air resistance, and the difference between gliding and powered flapping. Modern ornithopters usually use motors or remote controls rather than direct human muscle power.