Parachutes
Da Vinci also thought up an early version of the parachute in a notebook entry within the Codex Atlanticus. The inventor’s vision was made of sealed linen cloth and was held up by wooden poles.
It’s again unlikely that da Vinci ever tested this out himself. Moreover, modern testing proved that the heaviness of the primitive parachute would have proven dangerous, putting the jumper at risk of injury once they landed.
Still, da Vinci generally had the right idea.
“If a man has a structure made out of coated cloth 12 arms wide and 12 tall, he will be able to throw himself from any great height without hurting himself,” he posited.
