Which Leonardo da Vinci design is commonly described as an early parachute?

Leonardo da Vinci’s early parachute design was a pyramidal parachute.

In a manuscript drawing usually dated to about 1485, Leonardo proposed a canopy made from linen held open by a wooden frame. The structure forms a pyramid, with a person suspended beneath it. He wrote that a person could jump from a great height while avoiding injury, provided the apparatus had suitable dimensions.

Leonardo did not build or test the parachute. Modern parachutes generally use flexible canopies that open through air pressure, while his design depended on a rigid framework. In 2000, British adventurer Adrian Nicholas constructed a version based on Leonardo’s measurements and tested it, although he used a modern parachute for the final descent because of safety concerns.

The design is significant because it shows Leonardo applying geometry and observation to controlled descent. It is not evidence that he invented the modern parachute, whose practical development came much later.