Definition
A spring made from one or more flat, narrow strips of spring steel stacked together, designed to flex along its length to absorb shock loads. In aviation, leaf springs are most commonly seen as the main landing gear legs on small, fixed-gear airplanes, where the spring steel strut bends under landing loads and returns to its original shape.
Plain English
A flat strip of springy steel that bends to soak up bumps. On many light airplanes, the main landing gear legs are big leaf springs that flex when the wheels touch down.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft landing gear, tailwheel, and airframe maintenance discussions.
Derivation
Called a leaf because each strip resembles a long, flat leaf. The same design has been used in wagons and cars for centuries; aviation borrowed the name and the concept directly.
Why Pilots Care
Leaf springs affect how the airplane handles bumps and landings; pilots must check them for cracks, corrosion, and fatigue during preflight to ensure safe ground operations.
Analogy
A leaf spring is a little like a strong metal ruler clamped at one end: when you press on it, it bends, and when you let go, it tries to spring back.
Intuition Check
Do not think of “leaf” as a plant leaf here. In this term, “leaf” means a thin, flat strip of material that acts as the spring.
Example Sentence 1
The Cessna's main landing gear uses a tubular leaf spring that flexes on touchdown to soften the landing.
Example Sentence 2
Unlike oleo struts, leaf springs provide a simpler and lighter way to absorb landing shocks on many small taildraggers.