Helicopter Sketch

From the Diary of Martin the Assayer

It is difficult to trust the date attributed to this sketch (A.D. 417) since Martin the Assayer was so fond of fudging dates, sometimes by as much as 200 years. Lying about dates, authorship, etc., was common practice throughout Europe until the end of the fifteenth century, not counting later fabrications by the scoundrel Rudolf Raspe or the bogus works of the infamous Paco Wang.

Whatever the date, though, it almost certainly predates the work of Leonardo. And, as to the comparative merits of the designs, it seems a fair assumption that the design by Martin the Assayer stood a far better chance of actually flying, had either of these fanciful ideas ever been brought to full fruit.


Title | Contents | Index | Author
Abbe at Urban || Plan View | Helicopter Sketch | Preserved Scaffolding
Intangible Frontlist