Academy 18137 Da Vinci Machines - Catapult

Leonardo Da Vinci (born in 1452, died in 1519) was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant people of the Renaissance and is widely regarded as one of the most talented people in history. He was not only an exceptionally talented painter, author of such masterpieces as "The Lady with an Ermine" or "The Last Supper", but also an extremely prolific inventor and innovator. One of the areas that he was keenly interested in was the then military technology, and among the designs of his inventions, you can also find a much improved catapult. This modernization consisted mainly in the addition of two wooden, flexible arms that moved the lever to which in turn was attached a beam with a catapult missile. Thanks to this seemingly simple innovation, the power of the shot increased significantly, which allowed to increase the range of the fire or the penetrating force of the bullet. It is worth adding that Leonardo probably assumed the use of stone or cast metal projectiles. It is worth adding that a few sketches of the above-described catapult are in the so-called The Atlantic Codex, i.e. the collection of notes by Leonardo da Vinci from 1489-1492.