Leonardo’s Aerial Screw, also known as the Helical Air Screw or simply the Helicopter, is a conceptual design attributed to the Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci during the Renaissance period. It is one of Leonardo’s visionary inventions related to flight.

The Aerial Screw was envisioned as a device that would enable vertical flight, resembling a large screw or corkscrew-shaped structure. Leonardo’s design was inspired by his observations of the flight of birds and the spiral shape found in natural phenomena.

In Leonardo’s sketches and notes, the Aerial Screw consisted of a central shaft with a spiral surface, similar to the threads of a screw. The idea was for the device to be rotated by human or mechanical power, creating lift and allowing it to ascend. The operator would stand on a platform or use a harness connected to the central shaft.

While Leonardo’s Aerial Screw was an innovative concept, it was never realized as a functional flying machine during his lifetime. The technology and engineering required to build a working helicopter were beyond the technological capabilities of the time. However, Leonardo’s visionary design laid the groundwork for future advancements in vertical flight and rotorcraft technology, influencing the development of helicopters centuries later.

Leonardo’s Aerial Screw showcases his fascination with flight and his ability to think ahead of his time, contributing to the rich history of aviation and inspiring generations of inventors and engineers in the pursuit of human flight.