One of Leonardo’s most iconic images, the Aerial Screw (also known as
the Helicopter) illustrates the ingenuity of da Vinci, and indicates
(along with many other drawings!) his obsession with flying. While this
idea may never have got off the ground, for some basic technical
reasons, it gave us an insight into the different ways in which Leonardo
considered the challenge of human powered flying, and defines him as an
inventor well ahead of his time.
While it is often referred to as a helicopter, the premise of the
lift to make it rise is more like Archimedes’ screw than the rotors of a
helicopter. Our model uses one of the bevel gears he drew in his
codices and creates a nice 2 to 1 increase in speed of the crankshaft,
so the mast spins quickly, illustrating the manner in which this machine
would have worked.
A great kit for beginner to advanced model makers, this is a great
way to learn about gears, flight and brings Leonardo’s iconic drawing to
life. Takes between 1 and 3 hours to make. (Glue has to dry!) This is a
great project that works well and looks really cool on the shelf!