Articulated Flying Wing with Flexion Mechanism
An articulated rod worked by cords above and below, made to rise perpendicular toward the sky
At the top of the sheet Leonardo draws a symmetrical winged device — an articulated rod fitted with a central pivot and spreading vanes. Below, a long horizontal mechanism with paired wheels and a vertical frame illustrates a flexion-and-extension device whose iron S t, in rising or falling, lengthens the cord n o and brings the parts g b, p q, h K and a c into contact, so that the rod arches down or twists up. The accompanying text explains that if the supporting wood 4 8 is set on a perpendicular line the instrument climbs straight toward the sky, but if oblique it rises obliquely and gains ground.
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Articulated wing rising toward the sky
When the iron S t rises or falls, the cord n o (fixed at n) lengthens and the parts g b, p q, h K and a c touch, arching the rod down or twisting it up. If the support wood 4 8 stands perpendicular the instrument climbs straight toward the sky; if oblique, it rises obliquely and gains ground.
Articulated rod worked by upper and lower cords
The jointed rod is assisted by the cord below and, for the opposite motion, by the cord above, so that the two cords drive it in either direction.
Horizontal transmission with wheels a and K
Across the centre a long horizontal rod carries paired wheels or pulleys marked a and K, transmitting motion toward a vertical frame at the right bearing the labels S and t.