A 36-year-old Swiss amateur parachutist has made a successful 650-metre drop using a replica of a parachute designed more than 500 years ago by Leonardo da Vinci.

Mr Vietti-Teppa is the first person to have made it safely to the ground with the Leonardo model.

Mr Vietti-Teppa jumped from a hovering helicopter and the Leonardo parachute opened at 600 metres. The parachute he used was made using modern fabric along lines designed by the Renaissance genius.

The specifications were found in a text dating from 1485.

The parachute consists of four equilateral triangles, seven metres on each side, made of parachute fabric, Mr Vietti-Teppa explained.

The base of the pyramid is a square of mosquito net, which enables the parachute to open. A wooden frame originally conceived by da Vinci was not used on the model.

Mr Vietti-Teppa said it is impossible to manoeuvre or steer the Leonardo parachute. "You come down at the whim of the wind," he said.
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Wonder was the rate of the fall is? cool looking chute

Would be interesting to see how it worked with the wooden frame.

Might go spat with extra weight. I think President Bush should test it.

Without the frame, it's not exactly following da vinci's design.

hahaha