hat started as extensive work in military technology – including concepts for a giant crossbow, a tank and a submarine – Leonardo da Vinci turned to the idea of aerial reconnaissance. The early years of the 16th century brought the new obsession of the possibility of human flight to the famous painter and inventor. Using nature as his inspiration, particularly birds and bats, da Vinci wrote thein 1505, which showcased his observations on bird flight and the concepts of aerodynamics, the importance of the center of gravity and pressure on a bird’s wings among other things. All of this led to concept drawings of a flight machine, known as an ornithopter. It didn’t take much for more people to jump on board with the idea of flying and its possibilities. In 1783, the first hot air balloon took flight in France. After a few test
