Leonardo da Vinci has long been regarded as the father of flight - and the Renaissance's most famous son is commemorated on Italy's Finmeccanica stand by a full-sized model constructed from one of his many 'flying machine' drawings.
The 'working' model took a year to build from beech, iron, brass, rope, leather and tallow and is believed to be the largest reproduction ever made of one of Leonardo's machines.
In this model, the wings are driven by the back pedals, which the flier operates with alternating leg movements.
The effect of this thrust is amplified by the hand-operated crank, which powers a hoisting device.
Few of Leonardo's flying machines had any chance of success, despite their impeccable mechanical design.
Their lack of viability was due to the gap between the available force - human power - and their massive weight.
There is evidence, however, that he proposed an attempt from the roof of a building... but subsequently recomended a safer location.
Leonardo wrote: "You will try this machine over a lake and wear a long wineskin around your waist so that should you fall you will not drown."
Source: Flight Daily News