Leonardo da Vinci was convinced that "a person who overcomes air resistance with the help of large artificial wings can rise into the air." Convinced that he was right, he began to develop an apparatus driven only by the power of a person’s muscles, and allowing him to soar in the air like a bird.
There are many drawings of this "ornitotteri" invented by Leonardo. Some of them depict a person lying down, who is about to take off with the help of mechanisms attached to the wings; others are propelled forward by a more advanced system of screws and pulleys. There are also drawings of a man positioned vertically in a flying ship, on the pedals of which he pressed with his hands and feet.
To design the "ornitotteri" wings, Leonardo studied the anatomy of a bird's wing, taking into account the function and distribution of its feathers. While observing the bird's flight, the scientist noticed that it flaps its wings differently when it hovers in the air, flies forward, or lands. He was also interested in the membranous wings of bats. Based on these observations, Leonardo designed huge wings designed not only to lift a person into the air, but also to keep him in flight, thanks to ailerons and hinges. He intended to imitate the aerial acrobatics of birds, their ability to conserve energy in flight and land accurately. Until the end of the 15th century, Leonardo was convinced that he could carry out the project of mechanical flight. However, he was concerned about the fact that the capabilities of human muscles are limited. Therefore, he was going to use the bow mechanism instead of muscle energy, which would provide forward movement. However, the bow did not solve the problems of autonomy in flight that arise when the spring unwinds quickly.
From 1503 to 1506 Leonardo was busy with research in Tuscany. Atmospheric conditions, the presence or absence of wind, corresponding meteorological and aerodynamic phenomena forced him to abandon his old idea about an “instrument” based on the flapping of wings, and recognize “flight without wing movement.”
Observing how large birds allowed air currents to pick them up and carry them in the air, Leonardo thought of equipping man with large compound wings that would enable him to enter a suitable air flow with the help of simple body movements and without spending a lot of effort on it. A person will float freely until he falls to the ground like a “dry leaf.”
Systematic research undertaken by Leonardo at the beginning of the 16th century led him to the need to study the “quality and density of air.” For this purpose he designed hydroscopic instruments. Leonardo emphasized that the laws of aerodynamics are similar to the laws of hydrostatics, i.e. the science of water is a mirror image of the science of wind, “which (the science of wind) we will show through the movement of water and this important science will be a step forward in the understanding of bird flight in the air.” .
Leonardo da Vinci's helicopter
This drawing is an image of the “ancestor” of the modern helicopter. The radius of the propeller was 4.8 m. It had a metal edging and a linen covering. The screw was driven by people who walked around the axis and pushed the levers. There was another way to start the propeller - it was necessary to quickly unwind the cable under the axis. "I think that if this screw mechanism"If it is well made, that is, made of starched linen (to avoid tears) and quickly untwisted, it will find support in the air and fly high."
Hydroscope
The hydroscope is an instrument invented by Alberti. It was a simple set of scales with a hydroscopic substance (cotton wool, sponge, etc.) and wax that did not absorb water. According to Leonardo, the device was used to “find out the quality and density of the air and when it would rain.”
TILT METER
This device is a pendulum placed inside glass vessel(in the shape of a bell), which serves to “direct the apparatus (aircraft) straight or at an angle, as you prefer, that is, when you want to fly straight, place the ball in the middle of the circle.”
BALANCING STUDY
The movements of the glider in flight were controlled by movable wings and the balancing of the pilot: “a person must be free from the waist down so that he can balance himself, although he is in a boat, and so that his center of gravity coincides with the center of gravity of the entire structure and is balanced with him".
EQUILIBRIUM STUDY
The scientist conducted a study of the glider's balance in order to determine the bird's center of gravity. There are no drawings of this glider, but it is known that it must have been built from lightweight materials: bamboo and fabric with fastenings and guy lines made of raw silk or special leather. High design made of reed in the shape of a cylinder or parallelepiped, apparently pulled out on straps from the very wide (about 10 m wide) wings of this glider. In this design, the pilot was located much lower than the wings, which created the balance of the device.
LYING "ORNITOTTERO"
This drawing is one of Leonardo's most famous drawings: "A rotates the wing, B turns it with a lever, C lowers it, D raises it." A man lies stretched out on the platform: “The heart is located in this place.” The legs are threaded into stirrups in such a way that one leg raises the wing, the other lowers it. This is an aircraft in which a prostrate person turns pedals that raise and lower the wings, bending and rotating them with the help of ropes and levers, i.e. this device seems to be “rowing” through the air.
RELYING "ORNITOTTERO" WITH FOUR WINGS
In another variant, the "Ornitottero", the four wings were driven by the pilot's hands and feet. The hands raised the wings with the help of a drum, and the legs lowered one pair of wings in turn. Thus, the rhythm of the flapping wings accelerated. The device on the pilot's back was controlled by winding the ropes onto the drums and unwinding them.
ORHITOPTER
The picture shows not a glider controlled by a pilot, but an interesting “hybrid”. The pilot hangs vertically in the center of the vehicle, the tips of the wings have joints that control the vehicle, and a rigid structure supports it.
ORHITOPTER WITH SPRING DRIVE
Convinced that it was impossible to control such an apparatus using only the power of human muscles, Leonardo gave alternative solutions. For example, he designed a device with a launcher spring device, transferring their energy to the wings of “ornitottero” (in in this case- vertical) at the moment of straightening of the spring. In the detailed work on the left, Leonardo depicted a device similar to those he used in his “car” and in some clock mechanisms. This system was theoretically so ahead of its time that it even received the name “Leonardo’s Airplane.” In practice, it turned out to be imperfect due to the need to quickly unwind the spring and the difficulties in rewinding it during flight.
PARACHUTE
If a person has an awning made of thick fabric, each side of which is 12 arm lengths, and the height is 12, then he can jump from any significant height without breaking.”
FLIGHT OF BIRD
Thanks to systematic studies of bird flight, Leonardo decided to replace flight with flapping wings with gliding flight. Around 1505, his book “Codice sul Volo degli Uccelli” was completed (it is currently in Turin, in the former Royal Library). These drawings are from this book.
DEVICE FOR MEASURING WIND SPEED
There was another type of anemometer. It was made from cone-shaped tubes and was used to determine whether the wind turning a wheel was proportional to the air intake opening in the cone, given identical wind intensity.
SYSTEM OF LEVERS AND CONNECTIONS
Leonardo believed that the wings could be raised and lowered by a system of ropes and pulleys, driven by the pilot's legs in stirrups and his hands operating the handles. While rising and falling, the wings also bent and straightened with the help of automatic system guys, levers and connections.
DESCENT TO GROUND "DRY LEAF"
A person will turn to the right if he bends right hand and pull out the left one; by changing these movements, he will turn from right to left.”
“Look at the wings, which, striking the air, support the heavy eagle in the thinnest heights of the air, near the element of fire, and look at the air moving over the sea, which, striking the inflated sails, makes the loaded heavy ship run; on these quite weighty and reliable grounds You will be able to comprehend how a person, overcoming the resistance of the surrounding air with his artificial large wings, is able to rise up in it."
-- C.A. 381 v.a., from the writings of Leonardo da Vinci, on flying.
Leonardo da Vinci was born in the middle of the 15th century. He was a shining example of a “universal man.” During his life he excelled in painting, sculpture, music, mathematics, anatomy, science, technology and architecture. He was the author of many inventions and projects.
Leonardo da Vinci was convinced that “a man who overcomes air resistance with the help of large artificial wings can rise into the air.” Confident that he was right, Leonardo came up with a device that would allow a person to soar in the air like a bird, flapping large mechanical wings driven only by muscle power.
To design the wings of an ornithopter, Leonardo studied in detail the anatomy of a bird's wing. Watching the flight of a bird, the scientist noticed that it always flaps its wings in different ways: hovering in the air, flying from place to place, or landing. A thorough study of the mechanism of bird flight prompted Leonardo da Vinci to right idea that the main thrust is created by the end parts of the wing.
Leonardo da Vinci worked on several projects down to the smallest detail (1485-1497) various types ornithopters: in a recumbent position of the pilot, an ornithopter-boat, with a vertical position of the pilot, etc. When developing these aircraft, the ancient scientist put forward a number of remarkable design ideas that are now used in modern aircraft construction: a boat-shaped fuselage, a rotating tail unit, a retractable landing gear.
Wanting to increase the power of wing flapping, Leonardo da Vinci believed that, along with the strength of the arms, it was necessary to use the strength of the human legs. His developments also included a project for an ornithopter, which used a drawn bow as its energy source.
Interestingly, the idea of creating ornithoptera Leonard da Vinci was given an ordinary... dragonfly.
Small assembly instructions:
(I did the translation from Czech, which I’m not good at, myself. There may be inaccuracies, so be guided as you go)
The ornithopter model is easy to assemble, but requires care and concentration.
All parts of the model must be carefully cut out. Besides scissors And glue, to form already glued parts, you may need: tweezers, blunt knife, pencil, tape.
Reinforce (glue) the parts marked in red with cardboard for strength.
The places where the spacers need to be glued to the wings are indicated by black dots.
The numbers indicated in the circles will serve as a sequence for your work, i.e. The wing parts with numbers 1 and 2 are assembled first, then parts 3 and 4 follow, and so on. After drying, some parts, in particular the wing, need to be slightly rounded (for example, on the edge of a table).
When joining parts, color imperfections can be eliminated with watercolors, painting the joints in the appropriate tone.
The finished ornithopter model can be hung on a thread or placed on a table with a stand - decide for yourself.
If you decide to hang it, pierce two holes on the wings with a sharp needle, place the third mount in the rear (tail) part of the ornithopter. These places are indicated by blue lines, see figure.
In order for the aircraft to stand on the table, it is necessary to assemble a stand in the form of a cylinder - parts 28-30. Along the contour of the lower part 29, lay and secure with tape a piece of wire (for example, a paper clip). In order for the model to stand confidently, the stand must be weighted; to do this, place a weight - a large nut - on the bottom of the stand.
At the end of the work, do not forget to attach the label “Ornitoptéra” to the stand Leonardo da Vinci” parts 31-32.
The most daring dream of Leonardo the inventor, without a doubt, was human flight.
One of the very first (and most famous) sketches on this topic is a diagram of a device that in our time is considered to be a prototype of a helicopter. Leonardo proposed making a propeller with a diameter of 5 meters from thin flax soaked in starch. It had to be driven by four people turning levers in a circle. Modern experts argue that the muscular strength of four people would not be enough to lift this device into the air (especially since even if lifted, this structure would begin to rotate around its axis), however, if, for example, a powerful spring were used as an “engine” , such a “helicopter” would be capable of flight - albeit short-term.
Leonardo soon lost interest in propeller-driven aircraft and turned his attention to the flight mechanism that had been working successfully for millions of years - the bird's wing. Leonardo da Vinci was convinced that “a man who overcomes air resistance with the help of large artificial wings can rise into the air.” Convinced that he was right, he began to develop an apparatus driven only by the power of a person’s muscles, and allowing him to soar in the air like a bird. There are many drawings of such an aircraft invented by Leonardo. Some of them depict a person lying down, who is about to take off with the help of mechanisms attached to the wings; others are propelled forward by a more advanced system of screws and pulleys. There are also drawings of a man positioned vertically in a flying ship, on the pedals of which he pressed with his hands and feet.
Leonardo studied and described with amazing accuracy the flight of birds. He knew that air pressure on the lower surface of the wings creates a force that is now called lift; he investigated the anatomy of flight organs, air resistance and the dynamic role of the center of gravity for propulsion. He defined the research plan this way: “If you want to talk about such things, you must first determine the nature of air resistance; in the second - the structure of the bird and its plumage; in the third - the action of this plumage during various movements; in the fourth, the role of the wings and tail.” It is this conscious method scientific research and is the main merit of Leonardo.
After a long and careful study of bird flight, which he began while still in Milan, Leonardo designed, and possibly built, the first model of a flying machine in 1490. This model had wings like bat, and with its help, using the muscular efforts of the arms and legs, the person had to fly. Now we know that in this formulation the problem is unsolvable, because human muscular energy is not enough for flight.
Whether Leonardo understood this or not, when fifteen years later, while in Fiesole, he again took up the study of flight, he was already thinking about flight with the help of the wind, that is, about soaring flight, rightly noting that in this case it is necessary less effort for holding and moving in the air. He developed a design for a glider that was attached to a person's back so that the latter could balance in flight. The main, widest part of the wings was motionless, but their ends could bend with the help of cables and change the direction of flight.
The drawing of the device, which Leonardo himself described as follows, turned out to be prophetic: “If you have enough linen fabric sewn into a pyramid with a base of 12 yards (about 7 m 20 cm), then you can jump from any height without any harm to your body.” .
The master made this recording between 1483 and 1486. Several centuries later, such a device was called a “parachute” (from the Greek para - “against” and the French “chute” - fall). The first parachute descents were made by the French - engineer Veranzio (from the roof of a high tower in 1617) and balloonist Garneran (from hot air balloon in 1797). Leonardo’s idea was brought to its logical conclusion only by the Russian inventor Kotelnikov, who in 1911 created the first backpack rescue parachute attached to the pilot’s back.
Aircraft according to the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci in our time:
Leonardo da Vinci's aircraft in games:
Aircrafts
Leonardo da Vinci was convinced that "a person who overcomes air resistance with the help of large artificial wings can rise into the air."
Convinced that he was right, he began to develop an apparatus driven only by the power of a person’s muscles, and allowing him to soar in the air like a bird. There are many drawings of this "ornitotteri" invented by Leonardo. Some of them depict a person lying down, who is about to take off with the help of mechanisms attached to the wings; others are propelled forward by a more advanced system of screws and pulleys. There are also drawings of a man positioned vertically in a flying ship, on the pedals of which he pressed with his hands and feet.
To design the "ornitotteri" wings, Leonardo studied the anatomy of a bird's wing, taking into account the function and distribution of its feathers. While observing the bird's flight, the scientist noticed that it flaps its wings differently when it hovers in the air, flies forward, or lands. He was also interested in the membranous wings of bats. Based on these observations, Leonardo designed huge wings designed not only to lift a person into the air, but also to keep him in flight, thanks to ailerons and hinges. He intended to imitate the aerial acrobatics of birds, their ability to conserve energy in flight and land accurately. Until the end of the 15th century, Leonardo was convinced that he could carry out the project of mechanical flight. However, he was concerned about the fact that the capabilities of human muscles are limited. Therefore, he was going to use the bow mechanism instead of muscle energy, which would provide forward movement. However, the bow did not solve the problems of autonomy in flight that arise when the spring unwinds quickly.
From 1503 to 1506 Leonardo was busy with research in Tuscany. Atmospheric conditions, the presence or absence of wind, and corresponding meteorological and aerodynamic phenomena forced him to abandon his old idea of an “instrument” based on the flapping of wings, and to recognize “flight without the movement of wings.”
Observing how large birds allow air currents to pick them up and carry them in the air, Leonardo thought about equipping a person with large compound wings that would enable him to enter a suitable air current with the help of simple body movements and without expending much effort. A person will float freely until he falls to the ground like a “dry leaf.”
Systematic research undertaken by Leonardo at the beginning of the 16th century led him to the need to study the “quality and density of air.” For this purpose, he designed hydroscopic instruments. Leonardo emphasized that the laws of aerodynamics are similar to the laws of hydrostatics, i.e. the science of water is mirror a reflection of the science of wind, “which (the science of wind) we will demonstrate through the movement of water and this important science will be a step forward in the understanding of bird flight in the air.”
THE IDEA OF FLIGHT IN THE WORKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI
Dmitry Alekseevich Sobolev, Ph.D. Sciences, Institute of History of Natural Science and Technology named after. S.I. Vavilova, RAS
One of the most interesting pages in the multifaceted work of Leonardo da Vinci is research devoted to the problem of human flight. Leonardo was the first scientist to seriously study this topic. His manuscripts contain drawings and brief descriptions of various aircraft. He returned to this topic throughout his creative career: the first projects of flying machines date back to the mid-80s. XV century, and the latter date from the second decade of the XVI century.
The most numerous projects are devices with flapping wings - ornithopters. This is quite natural, since the bird was always the role model at the early stage of aviation development.
The first known design of a flying machine by Leonardo da Vinci was the design of an ornithopter, where a person should be in a recumbent position (1485-1487) (Fig. 1). To flap the wings, you need to use both the strength of the arms and the legs of the “pilot”. The wing axis was positioned in such a way that when moving down, it simultaneously moved backward, creating, along with the lifting force, the forward force necessary for horizontal flight.
Leonardo not only brought short description design, but also gave recommendations on testing the apparatus. He wrote: “You will test this device over the lake and put on a long fur as a belt so that you don’t drown if you fall. It is also necessary that the lowering of the wings be done with the strength of both legs at the same time, so that you can delay and balance, lowering one wing faster than the other, looking if necessary, just as you see kites and other birds do. Moreover, lowering with two legs is always more powerful than with one... And raising the wings should be done by the force of a spring or, if you want, by hand, or even better by lifting legs, this is better, because then your hands are freer" (Leonardo da Vinci. Selected works of natural science. M. 1955. P. 605).
To control flight altitude, da Vinci proposed an original mechanism consisting of a movable horizontal tail unit connected to a hoop on a person’s head. By raising and lowering his head, the tester had, according to Leonardo’s plan, to raise and lower the tail surface of the ornithopter (Fig. 2).
In an effort to reduce the effort required to move the wings, the great Italian inventor proposed making special fabric valves on the flapping surfaces, which, when the wing moves downwards, would be tightly pressed against the mesh stretched over the wing reinforcement, and during the reverse stroke would open, allowing air to pass freely. A similar idea was later used by other ornithopter designers.
Another version of the ornithopter, proposed by Leonardo in the same years, was an apparatus in which a person had to flap his wings, like a cyclist, rotating wheels with his feet, connected by levers to the power structure of the wings (Fig. 3). In the sketch of this device, what attracts attention is something resembling a bell suspended in front of the “pilot’s” face. Researchers are still debating what it could be. In my opinion, this device is a pendulum designed to indicate position in space. It is known that around 1485 the scientist made a sketch of such a device (Fig. 4). If this is so, then we see the first drawing of an aircraft instrument.
The most famous project is the ornithopter-boat (Fig. 5). It dates from about 1487. Apparently, a person had to sit or stand in the boat, moving levers connected to the wings. Another lever was intended for turning the horizontal steering wheel, shaped like a bird's tail.
At the end of the 1480s. Leonardo da Vinci makes a drawing and description of a large flying machine with two pairs of flapping wings (Fig. 6). Standing in something like a bowl, the man set his wings in motion using a system of pulleys. Interestingly, the device had a retractable landing gear; the supports could be folded upward using gates and cables (Fig. 7).
Leonardo explained the concept of his new ornithopter this way: “I decided that standing on your feet is better than lying flat, for the device can never turn upside down... The rise and fall of the movement [of the wings] will be done by lowering and raising both legs, which gives great strength, and your arms remain free. If you had to lie flat, your legs, at the shin joints, would become very tired..." (Leonardo da Vinci. Selected works of natural science..P.606).
This reasoning is, of course, correct, but nevertheless this project should be considered one of the least successful results of Leonardo da Vinci’s creative research. Very big sizes apparatus: wingspan - 40 cubits (about 16 m), design height - 25 cubits (10 m), complex and heavy transmission - all this made the chances of getting into the air even less realistic than with previous ornithopters.
A hint for getting out of this deadlock was given by a thorough study of the mechanism of bird flight, which the scientist became interested in at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries. Observation of birds prompted him to the correct idea that the main thrust in flight is created by the end parts of the wing. As a result, at the very end of the 15th century. Leonardo makes a drawing of a fundamentally new design for an ornithopter - with a wing consisting of two articulated parts (Fig. 10). The flapping had to be carried out by the outer parts, making up about half of the total wing area. This idea, which is the first step in the emergence of the concept of a fixed-wing aircraft - an airplane, found practical implementation in the last decade of the 19th century. in the experiments of the famous German aviation pioneer O. Lilienthal. It is known that he tried to fly with a glider, the ends of the wing were driven by an engine attached to his body (Fig. 11).
The next step in the evolution of Leonardo's views on the design of a flying machine is associated with his study of the mechanism of soaring and gliding flight of birds. He concluded: “...When a bird is in the wind, it can stay on it without flapping its wings, because the same role that the wing performs in relation to the air when the air is still, is performed by the moving air in relation to the wings when the wings are stationary” ( Leonardo da Vinci. Selected works of natural science. P.497).
Based on this principle, known today as the principle of reversibility of movement, Leonardo comes to the conclusion: it is not a person who should push the air with his wings, but the wind should hit the wings and carry them in the air, as he moves sailing ship. Then the pilot of the flying machine will only need to maintain balance using the wings. “It does not require much strength to support oneself and balance on one’s wings and direct them into the path of the winds and control one’s course; small movements of the wings are enough for this,” writes Leonardo da Vinci in 1505 (Giacomelly, R. The aerodynamics of Leonardo da Vinci // Aernautical Journal. 1930. Vol. 34. P. 1021)
Based on the concept he developed, the scientist decided to create a new type of aircraft. Most likely, it should have been fundamentally different from the ornithopters of previous years. According to the Italian researcher of Leonardo da Vinci's work, R. Giacomelli, it could have been a monoplane with a wingspan of approximately 18 m, designed for flight in rising air currents (in modern terminology, a soaring glider). The wings were movable, but compared to previous projects their mobility was very limited and would only serve for balancing (Giacomelly, R. Leonardo da Vinci e il volo meccanico // L "Aerotechnica. 1927. No. 8. P. 518-524 .).
The manned “artificial bird” was supposed to launch from the top of Monte Cecheri (Swan Mountain) in the vicinity of Florence and, picked up by vertical currents, rise into the air. " Big bird will begin her first flight from the back of her gigantic swan, filling the universe with amazement, filling all scriptures with the rumor of herself, - eternal glory to the nest where she was born,” wrote Leonardo da Vinci in his “Treatise on the Flight of Birds” (1505) (Leonardo da Vinci, Selected works of natural science, p. 494).
But Italy was not destined to become the birthplace of gliding. Loaded with numerous orders, Leonardo was never able to begin implementing his idea (or did not want to - for him it was always more interesting to generate projects and postulates than to bring them to life).
Shortly before his death, the scientist once again returned to thoughts about moving through the air using a fixed wing. His manuscript, kept at the Institute of France in Paris, contains a little-known drawing dating from 1510-1515. (Fig. 12). It depicts a man holding a plane with his hands and descending through the air, and there is an indication of the method of control: “This [man] will move to the right if he bends his right arm and straightens his left; and will then move from right to left as he changes position hands" (Gibbs-Smith, C. Leonardo da Vinci's aeronautics. London, 1967. P. 21.). Apparently, this idea of a simple balanced glider, or, more precisely, a controlled parachute, arose from Leonardo as a result of observing falling of a sheet of paper in the air.
Speaking about Leonardo da Vinci's research in the field of flight, one cannot fail to mention two more pioneering projects - the parachute project and the helicopter project. Both of them were made in the 1480s, at the same time as the first proposals for the creation of ornithopters.
Leonardo accompanied the drawing of a man descending on a pyramid-shaped parachute (Fig. 13) with the inscription: “If a person has a tent of starched linen, 12 cubits wide and 12 cubits high, he will be able to throw himself from any great height without danger to himself” (Leonardo da Vinci. Selected works of natural science. P. 615).
The familiar image of Leonardo da Vinci's helicopter (Fig. 14) represents the first project of a vertically taking off aircraft. Unlike modern helicopters with a bladed propeller, this machine had to take off using the well-known in the 15th century. Archimedean screw, with a diameter of about 8 m. Despite the fact that the screw had to be unscrewed by hand, Leonardo da Vinci believed in the feasibility of his project: “I say that when this device made by a screw is made well, that is, from canvas, the pores of which are starched, and is quickly set into rotation [...] the said screw is screwed into the air and rises up."
Like all first proposals, these projects were still imperfect. The parachute did not have a special hole in the top of the canopy, providing a stable descent trajectory, and the helicopter design did not take into account the influence of the reaction torque from the rotation of the propeller, which would spin the structure located below, and the shape of the propeller was far from the best. But they both represent remarkable technical foresight nonetheless.
Wonderful ideas of Leonardo da Vinci for a long time remained unknown because he did not publish the results of his research. Ultimately, what Leonardo achieved over several decades dragged on for centuries. Only in the 18th century, unsuccessful attempts to fly by flapping wings attached to the arms and legs were replaced by the first designs of aircraft with a fixed wing generating lift and small movable wings to create forward force - Swedenborg (Sweden, 1716), Bauer ( Germany, 1763), Keighley (England, 1799). Flights on balancing gliders began in late XIX century, and the first helicopters appeared only in the 20th century.
An analysis of the development of views on the design of a winged aircraft in the works of Leonardo da Vinci and in the works of subsequent aviation pioneers allows us to draw the following general conclusion: contrary to the common point of view among aviation historians, the idea of an aircraft did not originate in itself as an alternative concept to the ornithopter, but “grew” from projects of devices with flapping wings through a series of intermediate designs of half-aircraft, half-ornithopter, the author of the first of which was the great Leonardo.
Vertical "ORNITOTTERO"
The need for a more powerful source of energy led Leonardo to the idea of using all parts human body during the flight. The picture shows a man controlling sliding mechanisms not only with the help of his arms and legs, but also with his head, which, according to Leonardo, “has a force equal to 200 pounds.” A man stands in the center of a huge vessel, which is a bowl with a diameter of 12 m, equipped with a ladder (12 m). The wings of the device had a width of 24 m and a span of 4.8 m. On this device, Leonardo intended to use two pairs of wings, flapping alternately.
Tilt meter
This device is a pendulum placed inside a glass vessel (in the shape of a bell), which serves to “direct the apparatus (aircraft) straight or inclined, as you prefer, that is, when you want to fly straight, place the ball in the middle of the circle.” .
Canadian explorer Todd Reichert claims to have made the first ever flight on an ornithopter (macholet).
Invented by Leonardo da Vinci, this non-powered, heavier-than-air vehicle has wings that are powered by human power.
The flywheel, dubbed "Snowbird", was launched from the runway of a gliding club in Toronto. Reikert pushed with his feet the lever that lowered the edges of the wings.
With a dream of flight
The car helped the ornithopter accelerate, then it independently flew 145 meters at a speed of 25.6 km/h, making several strokes, and landed safely.
"From time immemorial, countless enthusiasts dreamed of flying like a bird using their own strength. Hundreds, if not thousands, have tried to do this," Reichert said in a statement.
“I managed to become one of the last aviators to be the first to achieve a significant achievement,” says the researcher.
Reichert lost 8 kg to lighten "Snowbird"
The macholet is made of graphite fiber and balsa. Its weight is 43 kg, its wingspan is 32 m.
According to Canadian experts, they have telemetric information confirming that the aircraft did not just glide, but maintained its altitude independently. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is set to confirm the record flight at a meeting in October.
Leonardo's creation
Maholet designed by Leonardo da Vinci
The invention of the ornithopter is credited to the Italian Renaissance painter and scientist Leonardo da Vinci. He captured it in his drawings around 1485, drawing the mechanisms that transmit the movement of human muscles to the wings.
But it was only in 1903 that the Wright brothers’ motor plane managed to take off from the ground.
In 1977, the ultra-light monoplane Gossamer Condor performed a figure-eight motion in the air using sheer muscular energy. Pilot and cyclist Brian Allen turned the propeller using pedals.
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Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (Italian: Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, April 15, 1452 - May 2, 1519) - a great Italian artist (painter, sculptor, architect) and scientist (anatomist, mathematician, physicist, natural scientist), a prominent representative of the type “universal man” (lat. homo universale) - the ideal of the Italian Renaissance.
In Verrocchio's workshop, Leonardo studied the humanities and also acquired some technical skills. He studied drawing, chemistry, metallurgy, working with metal, plaster and leather. In addition, the young apprentice was engaged in drawing, sculpture and modeling.
Such famous masters as Ghirlandaio, Perugino, Botticelli and Lorenzo di Credi often visited the workshop. Subsequently, even when Leonardo's father hired him to work in his workshop, he continued to collaborate with Verrocchio.
His only invention that received recognition during his lifetime was a wheel lock for a pistol (started with a key). At the beginning, the wheeled pistol was not very widespread, but by the middle of the 16th century it had gained popularity among the nobles, especially among the cavalry, which was even reflected in the design of the armor, namely: Maximilian armor for the sake of firing pistols began to be made with gloves instead of mittens. The wheel lock for a pistol, invented by Leonardo da Vinci, was so perfect that it continued to be found in the 19th century.
In Milan he made many drawings and studied the flight mechanism of birds different breeds and bats. In addition to observations, he also conducted experiments, but they were all unsuccessful. Leonardo really wanted to build a flying machine.
He said: “He who knows everything can do everything. If only you could find out, you’ll have wings!”
At first, Leonardo developed the problem of flight using wings driven by human muscle power: the idea of the simplest apparatus of Daedalus and Icarus. But then he came up with the idea of building such an apparatus to which a person should not be attached, but should maintain complete freedom in order to control it; the apparatus must set itself in motion own strength. This is essentially the idea of an airplane.
In order to successfully build and practically use the device, Leonardo lacked only one thing: the idea of a motor with sufficient power. He got to everything else.
Leonardo da Vinci worked on a vertical take-off and landing apparatus. Leonardo planned to place a system of retractable staircases on the vertical “ornitottero”. Nature served as an example for him: “Look at the stone swift, which sat on the ground and cannot fly up because of its short legs; and when he is in flight, pull out the ladder, as shown in the second image from above... this is how you take off from the plane; these stairs serve as legs...”
Regarding landing, he wrote: “These hooks (concave wedges), which are attached to the base of the ladders, serve the same purposes as the tips of the toes of the person who jumps on them, and his whole body is not shaken by it, as if he I was jumping on my heels."
