Ornithopter wing worked by cords, with neck-mounted rudder
A single running cord raises and lowers the wing; a tail-rudder is tied at the nape of the pilot's head
A large flying-machine wing spreads across the sheet, its ribs braced by struts and drawn by a system of labelled cords and pulleys. Leonardo explains that one continuous cord (r S K z d l) runs to both feet and, according to which end is pulled, lowers the wing fixed at point M, turns it with the lever g y, bends it with cord b 4 5, or raises it with cord K r. A small head-study at the upper right shows a rudder-tail mounted on the pilot's neck, and he warns that the pulley-post K z must lean so that its foot z is set well forward of its head K.
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One running cord that raises, lowers, turns and bends the wing
A single cord labelled r S K z d l is fastened at each end to a foot of the operator. Pulling one end lowers the wing (fixed at M), turning it by the lever g y and bending it by cord b 4 5, while cord K r raises the wing again. The wing is spread over struts drawn across the whole upper sheet.
Rudder-tail tied at the nape of the pilot's head
A small study at the upper right shows a man's head with a rudder set upon the neck. Leonardo notes that the tail is bound with a garland at the head, in the place of the nape.
Lean required of the pulley-post K z
Leonardo cautions that the wood carrying the pulleys K z must not stand truly vertical. Instead its lower point z should be set much further toward the operator's feet than its upper point K.