Page 73 - All About History - Issue 11-14

Da Vinci’s genius inventions
Spring-powered
It would take four men
to prime the central
spring with enough
energy that, when
released, could spin the
helical blade at a very
high speed.

Rapid lift
The large helical blade
would rotate at great
speed to compress the air
and provide enough force
to lift the machine.

Untested
Though he mentions testing
his concept in smaller model-
sized prototypes, it’s unclear Sturdy but light
whether da Vinci ever fully In his notes the inventor
tested his helicopter. mentions that the aerial
screw should be made
out of a strengthened
linen and wire to provide
enough air resistance.

THE HELICOPTER

A precursor to the modern-day vehicle “ His designs
inspired a new
I vehicles. It’s thought that da Vinci had tested generation of
t may seem unconventional to our modern
eyes, but this design is the earliest known
the concept for the device on smaller models,
aerial pioneers”
possibly children’s toys, but a full-scale prototype,
plan for a human-powered helicopter.
Utilising a screw-shaped propeller, the
purportedly to be made of linen and iron wire,
machine featured a powerful loaded spring
aerial screw would have been far too heavy to fly.
to harness and release enough energy to spin the was likely never built. Like his other proposals, the Verdict
winding blade and lift it into the air. Once again, da Vinci applied his knowledge Much like the ornithopter,
The aerial screw, as it is more commonly of aerodynamics and air resistance in his quest the helicopter was a doomed
known, would have required four men to fully for achieving practical flight – he even invented design, but with a brilliant
prime the powerful spring, though it’s unclear the ball bearing in his attempt to overcome the method. Utilising some of the
whether they would have remained on the problem of the friction his device would encounter. principles developed by his
device as it was propelled into the air. As the When his notes were finally published nearly fellow polymath Archimedes
some centuries earlier, the
spring was released, it would turn the blades three centuries later, his observations and designs Italian’s combination of the
of the screw at high speed, compressing the inspired a new generation of aerial pioneers, spring and screw applies his
air below it to provide sufficient lift from though the modern-day helicopter would not be intimate understanding of lift,
the ground – a method similar to today’s built until the 20th century. drag and aerodynamics.
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