Dom Dezort

Latin I

Mr. Cian

May 7, 2018

Da Vinci’s inventions

Throughout his life, Leonardo Da Vinci overcame a lot of diversity and created many

inventions that are still used today. He invented flying machines, giant crossbows, parachutes,

the first real tank, and lots of other things. He is one of the greatest influencers of his generation

and the renaissance times.

Of Leonardo da Vinci’s many areas of study, perhaps this Renaissance man’s favorite

was the area of aviation. Da Vinci seemed truly excited by the possibility of people flying

through the air like birds. It was this interest that inspired his most famous invention – the flying

machine. This invention shows his great powers of observation and imagination, as well as his

enthusiasm for the potential of flight. According to his notes, he got his inspiration from birds,

bats, and other winged animals. His notes also say he studied kites to figure out the air and wind

resistance, to help his knowledge of flying things grow.

Of all the things that inspired, perhaps bats were the greatest source of inspiration. The two

wings of the flying machine feature pointed ends, most commonly associated with the winged

creature. The flying machine had a wingspan that exceeded thirty-three feet long and the frame

was made form pine but covered with silk to create a light but sturdy membrane. To power the

wings, the pilot would have to pedal a crank that controlled the rod and pulley system. As the
pilot pedaled, the wings would flap, the exact same the wings of a bat would flap. Unfortunately,

Da Vinci realized that even though, it would have flown while it was in the air, a person could

have never created enough power to lift the machine off the ground.

Not only did Da Vinci make many flying machines, he also created many war machines.

His most famous one was the armored chariot. The precursor of the modern tank, Leonardo Da

Vinci’s armored car invention was capable of moving in any direction and was equipped with

many weapons. The most famous of D Vinci’s war machines, the armored car was designed to

intimidate and scatter an opposing army.

Da Vinci’s vehicle had a number of light canons arranged on a circular platform with

wheels that allowed for a full circle of motion and range. The platform is covered by a large

protective cover reinforced with metal plates which was to be slanted to better deflect enemy

fire. There was a sighting turret on top to coordinate the firing of the canons and the steering of

the vehicle. The motion of the machine was to be powered by eight men inside of the tank who

would constantly turn cranks to spin the wheels. Leonardo suggested in his notes that he thought

of using horses for power crossed his mind, but he dismissed it because he feared the animals

would become too unpredictable in the confines of the tank. Despite the elaborate design, Da

Vinci’s tank had a major flaw – the powering cranks went in opposite directions. This made

forward motion impossible. Scholars suggest such a basic engineering flaw would never have

happened with Da Vinci, and that he may have inserted a few intentionally. A pacifist at heart, he

might have sabotaged his own design to discourage the wart machine from ever being built.

While the full extent of his scientific studies has only become recognized in the last 150

years, he was, during his lifetime, employed for his engineering and skill of invention. Many of

his designs, such as the movable dikes to protect Venice from invasion, proved too costly or
impractical. Some of his smaller inventions entered the world of manufacturing unheralded. As

an engineer, Leonardo conceived ideas vastly ahead of his own time, conceptually inventing an

improved version of the helicopter, an armored fighting vehicle, the use of concentrate solar

power, a calculator, a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics and the double hull. In practice, he

greatly advanced the state of knowledge in the fields of anatomy, astronomy, civil engineering,

optics, and the study of water.

During the Renaissance, the study of art and science was not perceived as mutually

exclusive; on the contrary, the one was seen as informing upon the other. Although Leonardo's

training was primarily as an artist, it was largely through his scientific approach to the art of

painting, and his development of a style that coupled his scientific knowledge with his unique

ability to render what he saw that created the outstanding masterpieces of art for which he is

famous.

As a scientist, Leonardo had no formal education in Latin and mathematics and did not attend

a university. Because of these factors, his scientific studies were largely ignored by other

scholars. Leonardo's approach to science was one of intense observation and detailed recording,

his tools of investigation being almost exclusively his eyes. His journals give insight into his

investigative processes.

Overall, da Vinci is one of the biggest influencers of the Renaissance times. His ideas and

inventions are still being used today. Not only are his inventions cherished, his paintings are as

well. Leonardo da Vinci is one of the greatest influencers of math and science during the

Renaissance times, and he will always be an influence for everyone.

Works Cited:

http://www.da-vinci-inventions.com/davinci-inventions.aspx

http://historylists.org/other/9-incredible-leonardo-da-vinci-inventions.html

http://allthatsinteresting.com/leonardo-da-vinci-inventions