Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:A new study suggests that an early helicopter design by Leonardo da Vinci might hold the secret to quieter, more efficient drone flight. The study tested Leonardo’s aerial screw design against the conventional two-blade drone rotor. Closer reads of da Vinci’s ideas have found that some of these sketches still offer something beyond their aesthetic and historic value. “Leonardo da Vinci’s aerial screw, conceived in the 15th century, represents one of the earliest conceptualizations of lift-generating rotary flight,” the authors of the paper note in their opening abstract. Jacobsen // Getty Images A 1960 photograph depicting a child looking at a model of Leonardo da Vinci’s design.