Leonardo da Vinci and the flight

Leonardo's draft for the ornithopter.

The dream of human flight is lost in the mists of time. The old chronicles relate the many failed attempts by real daredevils. Leonardo da Vinci based his studies on the observation of birds, unlike all his predecessors, however, he develops a genuine theory of flight, from which develops the design of some flying machines. The studies are based on the laws of physics, air, wind and their behavior. He is convinced, unlike the scientists of his time, that the flight has nothing mysterious in itself, since it is a purely mechanical phenomenon, due to the movement of the wings in the air. The air is compressible, and therefore it can have a resistance that can support a body. this is one of his most brilliant intuitions.
These studies led him to devise some of his inventions, even if sometimes it's just drawings, among which include the ornithopter inspired the birds' flight and the aerial screw, embryonal idea of helicopter.