Made by the Scuola di Costruzioni ed Esperienze Aeronautiche at Guidonia and donated to the Museum in 1938, the aerial screw is one of Leonardo’s best known designs, long interpreted as the earliest anticipation of the modern helicopter.
The screw is made of a spiral-shaped linen canvas arranged around a vertical mast, inserted onto a circular platform. By running on the platform and pushing the horizontal bars connected to a central mast, a number of men can operate this screw.
This project is part of the study of the physical and chemical characteristics of air: Leonardo reached the conclusion that air can be compressed and that it has its own material thickness. He therefore retained that a screw-shaped device, if rapidly rotated, could rise in flight by screwing itself into the thickness of the air, in exactly the same manner a common screw can screw into another material.
Technical informations
Type of exhibit
Model
Collection
Material
Wood, iron
Measures
Width: 135 cm, Length: 49 cm, Depth: 27 cm.
Storage location
Relationship with the original work
Source: Leonardo da Vinci, Manuscript B (France), f. 83 v
Inventory number
Record n. OA: 00000006
Location
Museo Leonardiano, Counts Guidi's castle, ground floor
Last update: 24 June 2025, 09:12