How does the Airbus A320 landing gear work in a simulator?

In an Airbus A320 simulator, the landing-gear lever sends an electrical UP or DOWN demand to one of two Landing Gear Control and Interface Units (LGCIUs). The active unit uses Green hydraulic pressure to sequence the doors, locks and gear legs, then supplies the panel and ECAM indications. Modelling depth determines how failures behave.

In our Aviation & Real-World Flying coverage, we use the real A320 system as the reference. A basic simulator aircraft may reduce the process to a single animation, while a systems-focused model can reproduce electrical interlocks, hydraulic dependencies, sensor faults and gravity extension.

Where is the A320 landing gear lever, and what does it do?

The landing-gear lever in the A320 is on the centre instrument panel beside the ECAM displays, rather than on the centre pedestal. Its wheel-shaped handle selects UP or DOWN, but the position of the handle is only a demand; it does not prove that the gear has reached the commanded position.

The lever sends electrical signals to the active LGCIU. On the ground, an interlock associated with main-gear compression normally prevents an UP selection from retracting the gear. Generic keyboard commands or simplified aircraft may not reproduce that protection exactly.

For the lever's position relative to the ECAM and other panels, see our map of the A320 cockpit controls and displays.

What controls the A320 landing gear system?

Two LGCIUs supervise the complete operating sequence, with the units normally alternating between gear cycles. They read proximity sensors at the doors, uplocks, downlocks and landing-gear legs, then report whether each component is locked or still moving.

Normal operation uses the aircraft's Green hydraulic system. If a Green pump source is lost, the power transfer unit may use available Yellow-system power to help pressurise Green, but it transfers mechanical power rather than hydraulic fluid. The Yellow electric pump does not operate the landing gear directly, and the PTU cannot cure a depleted or leaking Green circuit. Our explanation of the A320 Yellow system and its relationship with Green covers that distinction.

Hydraulic actuators move the gear and powered bay doors; mechanical locks hold them at the ends of travel. For the hardware behind those terms, our guide to gear doors, uplocks, downlocks, shock struts and wheels explains the components separately from the A320 control logic.

What happens when the A320 gear is selected UP or DOWN?

Some door sections are fixed to the gear and remain visible when it is extended; that is not a fault. During a normal cycle, a transit or unlock indication is expected briefly. If it remains after the animation and hydraulic noise stop, treat the gear as not safely locked.

What are the A320 landing-gear speed limits?

The common A320-family limits represented by most simulators distinguish between operating the gear and merely flying with it extended:

• Maximum extension speed: 250 kt IAS.
• Maximum retraction speed: 220 kt IAS.
• Maximum speed with gear extended: 280 kt IAS or Mach 0.67, whichever is lower.

The 280 kt/Mach 0.67 figure does not mean the gear may be selected DOWN at that speed. Extension must begin within the lower operating limit. Check the documentation and cockpit placards for the exact A320 variant represented by the aircraft.

A simple model may accept an overspeed selection without consequence. A detailed one may inhibit normal hydraulic operation, record damage or leave a door or gear leg in an abnormal state. Do not use the simulator's lack of a warning as evidence that the selection was valid.

How should you operate the A320 landing gear in a simulator?

1. Before take-off: verify that the lever is DOWN and that the nose gear and both main gear units show downlocked. An external view is not a substitute for the cockpit indications.
2. After lift-off: establish a positive climb, then select UP. Selecting it while the aircraft is still settling onto the runway can conflict with the simulated air-ground logic.
3. Monitor retraction: allow the transit indications to clear and confirm that no unlock or gear fault remains. Do not assume that movement of the lever completed the cycle.
4. On approach: slow below 250 kt before selecting DOWN. Extend the gear at the point required by the approach and stabilisation plan rather than waiting for an arbitrary altitude.
5. Before landing: confirm all three gear units downlocked. If one green indication is missing, use the aircraft's abnormal checklist instead of relying on the external model.
6. During a go-around: set go-around thrust and establish a positive climb before selecting UP. Our A320 simulator go-around sequence explains how that fits with flap retraction and acceleration.

What do the A320 gear lights and ECAM indications mean?

Green indications mean that the associated landing-gear unit is physically reported downlocked by the control system. The three indications correspond to the nose gear, left main gear and right main gear.

A red UNLK indication, where reproduced, means the gear is not locked in the position commanded by the lever. That is normal for a short period while the gear is travelling, but a persistent indication can represent an incomplete lock, hydraulic problem or faulty proximity-sensor signal.

When the gear is correctly retracted, the green downlock lights are extinguished and no unlock warning remains. If the visual model disagrees with ECAM in a detailed add-on, use the cockpit system state for decision-making; replays, time acceleration and network synchronisation can leave external animations out of step.

How does A320 emergency gravity extension work?

Gravity extension releases the landing gear mechanically when normal hydraulic extension is unavailable. On the real A320, the GRVTY GEAR EXTN handcrank is turned through the prescribed three turns to isolate the normal landing-gear hydraulic supply and release the door and gear uplocks.

Gravity, aerodynamic loads and spring assistance then move the gear into the downlocked position. The hydraulically powered doors remain open, and nose-wheel steering is unavailable after gravity extension. Braking capability depends on the wider hydraulic failure, so the original fault still matters.

A systems-focused simulator may require the full crank movement and reproduce the open doors and steering loss. A basic aircraft may respond only to the generic gear command, bypassing the emergency mechanism entirely.

Why will the A320 landing gear not move in my simulator?

A mistake we see often is assigning both a generic gear toggle and a two-position physical lever. Use a toggle for a momentary keyboard key or button; use separate UP and DOWN events for a latched cockpit lever. Command names vary between simulators and aircraft, so remove duplicates rather than assuming the first visible assignment is the only one.

Basic versus advanced FS: what is actually simulated?

The aircraft package, not the host simulator alone, determines how advanced the landing-gear model is. An advanced FS aircraft links the cockpit command to electrical, hydraulic, mechanical and indication states instead of moving one global gear animation.

If the generic gear key completes every cycle despite missing electrical power or Green hydraulic pressure, the aircraft is using simplified logic. For a safer comparison, use the add-on's supported failure controls or a controlled airborne scenario rather than attempting a gear-up test while parked.