Da Vinci’s tools of war

The Diving Suit /

Leonardo designed an early diving suit, which he hoped the Romans could use to disable enemy ships.

The Parachute /

The inventor drafted designs for an early parachute made of wood and linen. Skydiver Adrian Nicholas put the chute to the test in 2000.

Armoured vehicles /

A far cry from today’s war machines, Leonardo’s wooden tank would have been powered by two men operating a crankshaft.

Crossbow /

In 1486, Leonardo designed a giant crossbow that would employ a crank and gear system to launch projectiles.