Levers and cables are used to:

• A. They provide electrical signals to hydraulic valves
• B. They unlatch the landing gear; gear then free-falls into place and locks in the down position
• C. They expand the wing
• D. They actuate the doors

Answer: (B)

Mechanical linkage controls the landing gear unlatching and deployment. Levers and cables provide a direct mechanical path from the cockpit gear handle to the gear latch. When the latch is released, the gear is allowed to extend, often aided by gravity or a spring, so it reaches the down position. A downlock then secures the gear, preventing retraction until the system is commanded to retract and the gear is re-latched. Doors may open as part of the deployment sequence, but the essential role of the levers and cables is to unlatch and permit the gear to extend and lock.