Water as Microscope of Nature

The Codex on the Flight of Birds, composed in Florence between 1505 and 1506, contains justly famous studies. By now, Leonardo had abandoned the dream of a flying machine with human-powered flapping wings. His attention turned to how birds stay aloft and move through the air by taking advantage of the wind and ascending currents. The mechanical devices that he outlines are designed for these purposes. They include large articulated wings controlled by the flier with ropes, joints, and pulleys so as to adjust them to atmospheric conditions. Convinced that he had found the right approach, Leonardo prophesied the imminent epochal advent of the bird-man’s flight, which was to astonish the entire world.