Francesco Lana Terzi, 1631-1687
A reprint of chapter 6 (Fabricare una nave, che camini sostenata sopra l'aria a remi, & a veli) from the author's Prodromo overo Saggio di alcune inventione nuove...(1670). Although the concept of Lana Terzi's "ship carried on air" is based on a fundamental error in physics, and is completely impractical, it is nevertheless an interesting early attempt to design a flying machine.