LEONARDO DA VINCI THE ENGINEER By Liam Ryan

The Makings Of An Engineer Ever since birth Leonardo always wanted to know how things work. He wanted to know how birds fly, how water runs, and how grass grows. This curiosity is what made him such a good engineer.

How did Da Vinci begin his work as an engineer? Leonardo got his start as an apprentice to Andrea del Verrocchio. With Verrocchio Leonardo would’ve learned drafting, chemistry, metallurgy, metal working, plaster casting, leather working, mechanics and carpentry as well as artistic skills like drawing, painting, sculpting and modeling.

Why do we define Da Vinci as an engineer? Leonardo’s flying screw, kind of like a helicopter just more …uh …screwier Leonardo’s bike, not exactly X-games worthy. This is a cannon, if you can’t figure that out there’s something wrong with you

What is Da Vinci’s most lasting engineering invention? Perhaps most famous of his inventions is the flying machine. Although he probably never actually built it, much less tested it, it is still amazing. It is designed after a bird and would have required the pilot to flap the wings. The lasting impact of this one invention is very evident in our modern day aeronautical engineering.

Conclusion It is by witnessing his inventions in engineering, that you begin to understand the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci. The amazing thing is that he probably made tens of thousands of machines, all more interesting and amazing then the last. He truly revolutionized the world he lived in and our own world today.

My search process I have always been interested in architecture and engineering. My father and my grandfather both work in these fields. It was easy to choose the topic on engineering. Although I didn’t know much about Da Vinci, I did know some key pieces of information about engineering. I was interested in finding out more about his role in the foundations of engineering. I used my questions to guide my research. I used primarily internet sites to gather my research.

Who cares? Honestly, the idea of learning about Leonardo Da Vinci bored me to tears. I didn’t really understand all that he had contributed to our society. I thought he was only a painter. Once I connected his work in engineering to what I knew about, I became interested. I’m still not sure if I too will become an engineer, but this project gave me an understanding of some of the history behind the field.

Sources The Inventor's Workshop. Museum of Science, 1997. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. Murtagh, Leallyn. "Leonardo Da Vinci: The Engineer. " Illumin. University of Southern California, 4 th Nov. 2005. Web. 29 Apr. 2012.