A method of operating a vehicle, the vehicle comprising: a fuselage; a wing connected to the fuselage; a landing gear assembly connected to one of the fuselage and the wing; an actuator connected to the landing gear assembly, wherein the actuator comprises: a first hydraulic piston; a second hydraulic piston disposed within the first hydraulic piston; and a third hydraulic piston disposed within both the first hydraulic piston and the second hydraulic piston, wherein the first, second, and third hydraulic pistons are contained within a common outer wall, wherein the third hydraulic piston is a floating piston and wherein the common outer wall includes a guide tube configured to separate fluid volumes within chambers of the actuator wherein the floating piston is configured within the guide tube, and each hydraulic piston has a corresponding pressure chamber, the second hydraulic piston and third hydraulic piston share a first pressure chamber, the first hydraulic piston associated with a second pressure chamber and the space between common outer wall and the first hydraulic piston defining a third pressure chamber, the actuator further comprising a manifold contained within the common outer wall, the manifold coupled to the first pressure chamber, the second pressure chamber and the third pressure chamber such that a fluid moving in the manifold can control positions of the first, second, and third hydraulic pistons, and the method comprising controlling the positions of the first, second, and third hydraulic pistons with fluid moving in the manifold by regulating the pressure of the fluid in the first, second and third pressure chambers. a fuselage; a wing connected to the fuselage; a landing gear assembly connected to one of the fuselage and the wing; an actuator connected to the landing gear assembly, wherein the actuator comprises: a first hydraulic piston; a second hydraulic piston disposed within the first hydraulic piston; and a third hydraulic piston disposed within both the first hydraulic piston and the second hydraulic piston, wherein the first, second, and third hydraulic pistons are contained within a common outer wall, wherein the third hydraulic piston is a floating piston and wherein the common outer wall includes a guide tube configured to separate fluid volumes within chambers of the actuator a first hydraulic piston; a second hydraulic piston disposed within the first hydraulic piston; and a third hydraulic piston disposed within both the first hydraulic piston and the second hydraulic piston, wherein the first, second, and third hydraulic pistons are contained within a common outer wall, wherein the third hydraulic piston is a floating piston and wherein the common outer wall includes a guide tube configured to separate fluid volumes within chambers of the actuator each hydraulic piston has a corresponding pressure chamber, the second hydraulic piston and third hydraulic piston share a first pressure chamber, the first hydraulic piston associated with a second pressure chamber and the space between common outer wall and the first hydraulic piston defining a third pressure chamber, the actuator further comprising a manifold contained within the common outer wall, the manifold coupled to the first pressure chamber, the second pressure chamber and the third pressure chamber such that a fluid moving in the manifold can control positions of the first, second, and third hydraulic pistons, and