Leonardo da Vinci’s ornithopter was intended to fly by flapping wings like a bird.
Leonardo studied bird anatomy and flight in detail and designed several flapping-wing machines. An ornithopter uses mechanical movement to imitate the wingbeats of birds or insects. His proposals generally placed a human pilot in a frame who would operate wings through pedals, levers, or other linkages.
No Leonardo ornithopter is known to have flown. Human muscle power is not sufficient to lift a person with the proposed mechanism, and the machines lacked the lightweight engines and materials needed for successful flight. Leonardo also explored gliders and the aerial screw, so “ornithopter” specifically identifies his bird-inspired flapping designs.