Leonardo da Vinci built a flying machine in 1500

What would the world have been like from then to now, if this had happened? What kind of flying machines would we have today?
 
depends... what kind of machine would he have built? if we are talking about a simple glider, probably not much change. kites were well understood by then, and for someone tpo be nuts enough to actually hang on to one would be more of a crowdpleasing stunt than a technological marvel. The difference between glider and kite is not something I'd expect contemporaries to understand.

If he builds something more advanced - say, a glider with basic controls - he might kick off something, though I suispect these aircraft would long be limited to entertainment and military applications. there still is no useful propulsion available, after all, and all attempts to drive them by muscle power are doomed to expensive and potentially lethal failure.

If he builds a lighter-than-air craft I could see awealth of potential applications in cartography, tourism, communication, reconnaissance and eventually even transport arising in relatively short order (say the following century or so). That could generate some real change.
 
What would the world have been like from then to now, if this had happened? What kind of flying machines would we have today?

Well, if he tried to fly one of the ones he did design, he would have been killed and we would have a lot less great art. The effect on flight in the future would be negligible or negative.
 

Hendryk

Banned
Well, if he tried to fly one of the ones he did design, he would have been killed and we would have a lot less great art.
There's a French-Belgian comic called "Léonard" which has a running gag along such lines: Leonardo is depicted as inventing one strange contraption after another, and he has his hapless disciple test-pilot them, which invariably results in the latter getting creatively injured.
 
There's a French-Belgian comic called "Léonard" which has a running gag along such lines: Leonardo is depicted as inventing one strange contraption after another, and he has his hapless disciple test-pilot them, which invariably results in the latter getting creatively injured.

now I'm getting South Park....:rolleyes:
 
Leonardo lacked pretty much EVERYTHING - aeronautics, control system customs, Bernoulli's Principle, wing test facilities, engines ...
 
Well his parachute would have worked.

Except he couldn't have gotten high enough to use it because none of the other ones would have worked.

Also it would have crushed the user on landing.
 
"For much of his life, Leonardo was fascinated by the phenomenon of flight, producing many studies of the flight of birds, including his c. 1505 Codex on the Flight of Birds, as well as plans for several flying machines, including a helicopter and a light hang glider. Most were impractical, like his aerial screw helicopter design that could not provide lift. However, the hang glider has been successfully constructed and demonstrated"

Ok so he could have created the early parachute

leonardo-da-vinci-parachute.jpg


Although there is evidence that parachutes were invented before his time, many feel he improved upon existing designs or re-designed it completely.

There is a danger of getting crushed, but tests conclude it would have worked.

http://www.leonardo-da-vinci-biography.com/leonardo-da-vinci-parachute.html



----

This design would have been made with linen, not sure on how feasible it is, but apparently in 1861, Gustave de Ponton d'Amécourt, a French inventor, created a model powered by steam.

da-vinci-helicopter.jpg



-----



This is the most practical design. It is claimed to be the first ever plane design capable of flight. Some of the information left in his journals, may have been mis-intentionally left out or made incorrect to protect his ideas.


da-vinci-flying-machine-glider.jpg




----------

This design is considered more explorative rather than functional, but would it have worked?

leonardo-da-vinci-flying-machines.4.jpg




-------


I'd love to know more about this design

copy-of-superstock_900-4788flying-machine-posters.jpg



---

some concur that by looking at some of his paintings, however brilliant Leonardo was, he could have only drew from the perspective shown if he had indeed flew his prototypes.

Could he and did he actually fly?

http://sped2work.tripod.com/leoglider.html
http://sped2work.tripod.com/davinci.html
 
Top