“While it looked impressive on the page, de Vinci’s ornithopter was never physically realised in his day”
HISTORY
How Leonardo da Vinci tried to fly
Discover the secrets behind the legendary inventor’s incredible flying machine Few individuals truly fit the muchoverused sobriquet of ‘man ahead of his time’, but Leonardo da Vinci is one of the select band who undoubtedly fits into this category. His mind seemed to be of another time entirely, devising all sorts of inventions that would either pre-empt or form the basis for modern-day equivalents. The item that perhaps best of all encapsulates his capacity to work beyond the constraints of his time, however, is his visionary ornithopter flying machine. Having spent much time watching and studying the fl ight of birds, he observed the different ways they flapped their wings while taking off and in mid-fl ight, and sought to
Da Vinci’s other flying machines
mimic them in the construction of his ornithopter. Sharing similarities with the paragliders of today, it required a solo pilot to manually operate a system of pullies, levers and pedals with his hands and feet in order to simulate fl ight. A hand crank increased the production of energy and the wings were designed to flap – much like those of a bird. However, while it looked impressive on the page, da Vinci’s ornithopter was never physically realised in his day. While it may well have worked while in flight, the task of actually taking off proved to be an insurmountable obstacle, as there wasn’t a known way of producing enough power to actually get it off the ground.
Da Vinci’s ornithopter
Da Vinci didn’t limit his pursuit of flight to just his ornithopter. Predating its invention by over 400 years, one of his designs reveals something akin to a modern-day helicopter. Also known as an aerial screw, its blades revolved like a corkscrew, compressing air in order to gain flight – a principle shared by its eventual successors. Although the theory was sound, modern-day scientists believe that it would have been too heavy to achieve flight, and as such remained strictly in the drawing book. He is also credited with devising early designs for what would become what we know as the parachute. Despite its triangular shape and wooden frame causing many to doubt its effectiveness, it a prototype based on the same design was constructed and tested in 2000 – where it was proven to work perfectly.
Pointed wings The pointed edges of the wings are a further indication of the inspiration Da Vinci took from birds.
Wing frames The basis for the wings
The bits and pieces that formed the basis of his revolutionary flying machine was essentially made from wooden poles.
Headpiece By moving his head, the pilot would have been able to steer the vehicle.
Flap valves
Rope
These would allow air to flow through the wing surface while the wing was moving upward.
The rope attached to the pulley provided a means for the pilot to control the machine.
Levers From his position, the pilot would have operated the wings by pushing and pulling a number of levers.
Wings Fabric would have covered the wings in order to provide a wider lifting surface.
Landing gear
This allowed the pilot to increase the output of energy from the flying machine.
076 | How It Works
Pilot The pilot would have been forced to lie still where he was positioned.
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Hand crank
Intended to be retractable, this would enable the pilot to land safely.
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