Leonardo’s Unbuilt Tank Design

Leonardo da Vinci designed a weapon centuries ahead of its time but it was never used

in battle. In the late 1480s, Leonardo worked as a military engineer in Italy.

He offered his services to Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan. Among his designs was an armored fighting

vehicle what we would now call a tank. Leonardo sketched it in his notebooks.

The machine was circular, covered in sloped armor. Cannons lined its

outer edge, allowing it to fire in all directions. Inside, men would turn cranks

to move the vehicle forward. The design was meant to break enemy lines and protect soldiers

from attack. But there was a problem. The gears were drawn in a way that would