Leonardo Da Vinci, inspired by his observations of birds, built an ornithopter—a wing-flapping contraption that was attached to a man. His ornithopter, like most that followed, didn’t work. Da Vinci’s error was understandable—the most obvious thing about a bird flying is the flapping of wings and Da Vinci sought to emulate what he observed. Of course, we now know it is lift and not the flapping of wings that is the invisible critical element in flight. Here is
Ignore the Flapping
Ignore the Flapping
Ignore the Flapping
Leonardo Da Vinci, inspired by his observations of birds, built an ornithopter—a wing-flapping contraption that was attached to a man. His ornithopter, like most that followed, didn’t work. Da Vinci’s error was understandable—the most obvious thing about a bird flying is the flapping of wings and Da Vinci sought to emulate what he observed. Of course, we now know it is lift and not the flapping of wings that is the invisible critical element in flight. Here is