Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Leonardo's Flying Machine

Foolproof Design



In a PBS special, engineers were given the formidable task of putting two of Leonardo's blueprints into life – an 80ft crossbow and a glider.

Faithfully following the blueprints, and consulting Leonardo experts where information was scant, the engineers working on the glider produced the most spectacular result. 500 years later, Leonardo's design was infallible. The glider remained airborne for more than 20 seconds.

There was a magical moment when the creaking of the glider’s wooden frames seemed to be speaking from a different time, connecting Leonardo's profound imagination with
It was a wonderful acknowledgement that there is nothing relative about truth.