Leonardo da Vinci designed many different weapons of war. These included a conical tank, a thirty three barreled cannon, and the ornithopter. Da Vinci wanted his ornithopter to be used as an aerial reconnaissance vehicle (Jakab). This would have asserted Italy as a dominant military force over others. Today, aircraft are the most powerful military weapon in the world, and having a flying machine four hundred years ago would have made Italy's military the most forceful power in all of ancient warfare.

The ornithopter was never built in its time, which prevented it from having any instantaneous effects. However, the device's design was influential in the designs of later craft. Other scientists and engineers such as Borelli and the well known polymath, Lilienthal (Goodheart). Unfortunately, some inventors inspired by da Vinci had unfortunate accidents when testing their vehicles. One famous man, Vincent de Groof, fell to his death in the streets while showing off his ornithopter. Today, movies, literature, and pop culture contain references to this iconic flying machine.