Elenco MultiBarrel Cannon - Manual (Page 8)

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It is somewhat puzzling to present-day scholars that Da Vinci made obvious
mistakes in artillery and weaponry designs. Why would one with such a gift for
engineering make drawings that would not work? Upon studying his notebooks,
it seems that Da Vinci did this intentionally because he was a pacifist who
disdained war. Although he had enticed Warlords and Generals to employ him
to improve their position in battle, Leonardo could not bring himself to create
weapons that would surely bring death and destruction. Although Da Vinci’s notes
indicate to scholars that he knew precisely how to make his artillery and weapons
operate efficiently, he cast a silent resistance with non-functional drawings.
Leonardo da Vinci’s design: Multi-barreled Cannon
Da Vinci developed the Multi-Barreled Cannon in 1480. The 12-barreled gun
carriage was a vast improvement over traditional cannons of the fifteenth century.
Leonardo’s design called for a fan-like shape that widened the firepower and made
it a potentially more effective weapon against a line of advancing troops. It also
featured a clever aiming and loading mechanism that made replenishing ammunition
faster and easier for soldiers engaged in battle. By mounting this ingenious device
on wheels, the cannon easily was also made portable and maneuverable on
the battlefield.