Leonardo's fighting vehicle

Sketch

Leonardo da Vinci's fighting vehicle is one of the conceptualizations of the revered Italian polymath and artist Leonardo da Vinci.^[1]

Design

The machine was designed while Leonardo da Vinci was under the patronage of Ludovico Sforza in 1487.^[2] Sometimes described as a prototype of modern tanks, da Vinci's armored vehicle represented a conical cover inspired by a turtle’s shell. The covering was to be made of wood and reinforced with metal plates that add to thickness. Slanting angles would deflect enemy fire. The machine was powered by two large inside cranks operated by four strong men. The vehicle was equipped with an array of light cannons, placed around the perimeter.^[3]

The gears of the design were located in a reversed order, making the vehicle unworkable. This is thought by some sources to have been a deliberate mistake by Da Vinci as a form of security, in case his design was stolen and used irresponsibly.^[4]

The vehicle was designed to intimidate the enemy rather than to be used as a serious military weapon. Due to the vehicle's impressive size it would not be capable of moving on rugged terrain. The project could hardly be applied and realized in the 15th century.^[5]

A few years ago a group of engineers recreated Leonardo’s vehicle, based on the original design. The mistake in gearing was fixed.^[2]

References

↑ Cynthia Phillips, Shana Priwer. Leonardo's Tank. Netplaces.com. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
1 2 Leonardo da Vinci’s Tank. Leonardodavincisinventions.com. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
↑ Da Vinci’s Tank: A War Machine for the Duke of Milan. Davincilife.com. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
↑ Da Vinci Invention. Leonardo-da-vinci-biography.com. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
↑ Armoured Car. Da-vinci-inventions.com. Retrieved 2014-08-05.

External links

Leonardo da Vinci's inventions

Leonardo da Vinci

List of works Science and inventions Personal life

Paintings	Medusa **The Annunciation **The Baptism of Christ The Madonna of the Carnation Ginevra de' Benci Benois Madonna The Adoration of the Magi St. Jerome in the Wilderness **Madonna Litta The Virgin of the Rocks (Louvre version) Portrait of a Musician Lady with an Ermine **The Virgin of the Rocks (London version) *La Belle Ferronnière *Salvator Mundi **Madonna of the Yarnwinder (two versions) The Virgin and Child with St. Anne Mona Lisa *Head of a Woman (La Scapigliata) Leda and the Swan St. John the Baptist

Works on walls	The Last Supper **Sala delle Asse The Battle of Anghiari

Sculptures	Sforza monument (unexecuted) *Horse and Rider

Works on paper	Vitruvian Man *Portrait of a Young Fiancée The Virgin and Child with St Anne and St John the Baptist Self-portrait Studies of the Fetus in the Womb

Manuscripts	Codex Arundel Codex Atlanticus Codex on the Flight of Birds Codex Leicester Codex Madrid Codex Trivulzianus Codex Urbinas

Other projects	De divina proportione Architonnerre Leonardo's crossbow Leonardo's fighting vehicle Leonardo's robot Leonardo's self-propelled cart Viola organista

Leonardeschi	Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio Cesare da Sesto Giampietrino Giovanni Agostino da Lodi Bernardino Luini Cesare Magni Marco d'Oggiono Francesco Melzi Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis Salaì Andrea Solari

Posthumous fame	Cultural references Mona Lisa replicas and reinterpretations Things named after Leonardo

Category Commons Wikiquote Wikisource Key: Attributed *Collaboration with other artists Lost

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