# Oleo Leg - Aircraft question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oleo-leg-aircraft-question/620146>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 27, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oleo-leg-aircraft-question/620146 "2012-04-27T16:36:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zep\_Tepi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@Zep\_Tepi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zep_Tepi)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oleo-leg-aircraft-question/620146/1 "2012-04-27T16:36:06Z")

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Just wondering if anyone knows the designer’s name of the Oleo Leg and also the first time it was used on an aircraft.

I have Googled it but cannot find the information.

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**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oleo-leg-aircraft-question/620146/2 "2012-04-27T17:53:10Z")

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Couldn’t tell you the designer, but I was reading a piece on Wikipedia last night on the development of the F4U Corsair and the part about the oleo problems and redesign were quite interesting, if like me you are into reading about that kind of thing.

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oleo-leg-aircraft-question/620146/3 "2012-04-27T18:04:38Z")

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“The answer was the oleopneumatic or “air-oil” shock strut, originally introduced in the late 1920s by the Cleveland Pneumatic Company. Cleveland’s “Aerol” strut quickly gained acceptance in the 1930s, and was the landing gear technology of choice by the time aviation exploded in the 1940s, transforming Cleveland Pneumatic Aerol into one of the nation’s largest wartime industrial companies.”

The whole article gives a good history of airplane landing gear systems.

> **[The Savvy Aviator #31: Know Your Oleo](https://www.avweb.com/ownership/the-savvy-aviator-31-know-your-oleo/)**
>
> Oleopneumatic shock struts or "oleos" absorb the impact of those less-than-grease-job landings. AVweb's Mike Busch explains these systems in details for aircraft owners and other pilots.

The specific inventor’s name was Louis William Greve. This cite gives even more info on it’s invention and early uses.

> **[Louis William Greve, Lou Greve](https://earlyaviators.com/egreve.htm)**
>
> Louis William Greve, Lou Greve