Every Type Of Fighter Jet Used In The Top Gun Movies (2024)

With incredible practical aerial sequels, the Top Gun planes are a vital aspect to the original movie and its sequel achieving an authentic feel. The original 1986 movie saw Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) attend the U.S. Navy's elite Fighter Weapons School, known to the skilled naval aviators who train there as "Top Gun." Over three decades later, Top Gun: Maverick saw Maverick promoted to Captain and reassigned to the school as punishment for his rebellious ways. As both movies emphasize realism, the Top Gun planes are equally crucial to the franchise as the pilots who fly them.

Neither Top Gun movies disappoint when it comes to their choices of fighter jets that can impress mainstream audiences as well as aircraft aficionados. Top Gun: Maverick treats the jet fighters as characters in and of themselves. The F-14 Tomcat even receives a comeback similar to Maverick's own triumphant return. Tom Cruise even gets the opportunity in Top Gun: Maverick to show off his own P51-Mustang. It's not just classic aircraft that receives the spotlight either, Top Gun: Maverick highlights the speed and fluidity of modern fighters and even an impressive if fictional, prototype hypersonic jet.

Grumman F-14 Tomcat

The Original Top Gun Plane Returned For The Sequel

The original Top Gun hired real F-14 Tomcats from the U.S. Navy for production. To achieve the impressive aerial shots that Tony Scott wanted for the flying sequences, the manufacturing company, Grumman, was commissioned to construct pods on the Top Gun planes that could accommodate film cameras while being flown. The use of actual F-14s came at a high cost to Paramount Pictures, who had to pay for fuel and the aircraft's operating costs. It costs approximately $8000 an hour (modern equivalent to over $21,000) to use the F-14s in Top Gun.

While filming Top Gun, Scott requested to film F-14s taking off from and landing on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, backlit by the setting sun. Scott requested that the captain of Enterprise adjust his course to accommodate the shot but was told that it would cost him $25,000 (just under $70,000 in 2022) to do so. Scott immediately wrote the captain a check and the aircraft carrier turned for the shot he wanted. The only problem arose when the captain tried to cash the check later, and it bounced (via The Hollywood Reporter).

Despite the U.S. Navy decommissioning them in 2006, the ending of Top Gun: Maverick made use of an F-14 as Maverick and Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller) escape the enemy in one of their own aircraft. F-14s are still in use by Iran's Navy, but the production team could not acquire any active aircraft for filming.

So instead, Top Gun: Maverick used an engineless F-14A from the San Diego Air & Space Museum for the enemy hangar scene. All the aerial sequences featuring the F-14 were created using visual effects. The depiction of the F-14 in Top Gun: Maverick fits perfectly with the film's theme of nostalgia.

Northrop F-5F/F-5E Tiger II

Used To Portray Top Gun's Enemy Planes

Top Gun utilized real-life Northrop F-5 aircraft to depict the fictional enemy MiG-28s. One small detail that reveals that the MiG-28s are fictional is that all aircraft designated as MiGs are given odd numbers in the real world. This is because the real TOPGUN uses the F-5s to simulate aggressor aircraft, a tradition that Top Gun kept by painting the F-5s black to portray the fictional enemy jet fighters.

In the fictional world of Top Gun, the MiG-28 is considered a formidable and highly mobile aircraft, and definitely a match for the various planes flown by Maverick and the other pilots. However, it also can't quite match the speed of the F-14 Tomcat, and it's this edge that ultimately gives the planes of the US Airforce an advantage. It's also interesting to note that the nationality of the pilots flying the MiG-28s is never specified, and rather than placing Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick in a specific conflict, the opposing combatants are simply referred to with terms like "the enemy".

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk

Used As Training Planes To Simulate Enemy Aircraft

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was used in Top Gun to simulate enemy MiG aircraft in the training sequences. The A-4s are flown by TOPGUN instructors Lieutenant Commander Rick "Jester" Heatherly (Michael Ironside) and Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf (Tom Skerritt) in the movie. Unlike the MiG-28, the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a real aircraft and was developed during the early 1950s. They saw a heavy amount of service in the Vietnam war, although today — as Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick rightly portray — they're used in a training capacity.

One depiction of the A-4 in Top Gun comes when Maverick flies under the 10,000ft hard deck to defeat Viper. The most important scene that these Top Gun planes are involved in is the death of Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards). Maverick is chasing an A-4 when he flies into Lieutenant Tom "Iceman" Kazansky's (Val Kilmer) jet wash and crashes.

Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II

Seen As A Fleet Aboard An Aircraft

While it was only seen briefly in Top Gun, the LTV A-7 Corsair II is another one of the real aircraft used in the franchise. It's also something of a vintage aircraft, though it was still in-use when the first Top Gun movie was released in 1986. The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II was brought in by the U.S. Navy in the 1960s to replace the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk.

Ironically, the use of the A-4 by the U.S. Navy outlasted the A-7 for over a decade. Both featured prominently in the Vietnam War, and in the post-war era the LTV A-7 Corsair II found its footing as one of the go-to aircraft for the Air National Guard. The A-7 was retired by the U.S. Navy only five years after Top Gun, in 1991. The A-4 was retired later in 2003. In Top Gun, a fleet of A-7s can be seen lined up on an aircraft carrier at the end of the movie.

Grumman KA-6D/A-6 Intruder

Seen On An Aircraft In Top Gun's Opening Sequence

Two variants of the Grumman A-6 Intruder are seen in the original 1986 Top Gun movie, though neither is as prominent as some of the more iconic aircraft like the F-14. Still, like all the planes in Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, it is a jet with a fascinating history. The A-6 was developed as an all-weather attack aircraft for the U.S. Navy with nuclear capabilities. The U.S. Navy used it between 1963-97, and like many of the aircraft in Top Gun the Grumman A-6 Intruder played an integral part in the Vietnam War.

Following on from Vietnam, A-6 Intruders were a common sight during the Lebanon conflict of the 1980s. They were an essential operational support aircraft for the Multnational Force in Lebanon, a peace-keeping force consisting of resources from the U.S., France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The A-6 Intruder and its aerial refueling variant, the KA-6D, can be spotted in the aircraft carrier credits sequence in Top Gun​​​​​.

Darkstar

A Fictional Hypersonic Jet In Top Gun: Maverick's Opening Scene

While the MiG-28 technically isn't a real plane, it's not fictional in the same sense as the Darkstar Jet from Top Gun: Maverick, which is the closest the franchise ever comes to aeronautic science-fiction. Although the prototype hypersonic jet, Darkstar, that Maverick pilots to Mach-10 on a doomed test flight at the beginning of Top Gun: Maverick is fictional, it is based on a real aircraft concept.

The Chinese government thought the Mach 10-capable Darkstar was so realistic that they mistook it for a real military project. In a sense, they are correct, as the Darkstar jet in Top Gun: Maverick is based on the conceptual Lockheed Martin SR-72. Compared to the mind-bending speeds that the Darkstar attains in Top Gun: Maverick, the SR-72 is proposed to be the first aircraft capable of flying at Mach 6 (six times the speed of sound).

Boeing F/A 18E/F Super Hornet

Used In Top Gun: Maverick's Final Mission

Besides Tom Cruise, the Boeing Super Hornets are the stars of Top Gun: Maverick. The Super Hornets are used by Maverick and his students for their mission to destroy the enemy's underground uranium enrichment plant. Despite being newer hardware than the F-14s in Top Gun, the Super Hornets are slower, with a top speed of only 1915km/h. The F-18 is one of the most modern real planes in Top Gun, entering service in 1999 which, while decades ago, is still far more recently than the many jets that were first deployed during conflicts like the Vietnam War.

The F-18 Super Hornet is one of the most iconic and recognizable Top Gun planes used in Top Gun: Maverick, and are not only seen in the final mission but also in the incredible training dogfights. Despite being a certified pilot, Cruise wasn't allowed to fly an F-18 aircraft by the U.S. Navy. This makes sense, given the Super Hornet's price tag of $70 million.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

Seen Flying From An Aircraft Carrier

While they're only actually glimpsed during the second Top Gun movie, the F-35s are mentioned throughout Top Gun: Maverick as Maverick's desired planes for the mission. However, he is denied the use of them by his higher-ups. In real life, though, the F-35s planes were not used in Top Gun because they only seat a single pilot. The F-35 is especially notable among modern jets for its ability to hover in place and perform vertical landings — a feat that takes an incredible amount of engineering ingenuity.

Top Gun: Maverick's aerial sequences were filmed mainly practically and thus required two people to occupy the plane: the actor playing the pilot and the actual, trained pilot, which is why the F-35 wasn't used. However, the F-35s can be seen aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln before Maverick and the team depart for their mission. Like many of the F-series planes in Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, such as the F-18 and F-14, the F-35 is an easily recognizable vehicle for aircraft buffs. It's also an incredibly modern jet, having only entered service in the various branches of the military in the late 00s.

Sukhoi Su-57 Felon

Used As Top Gun: Maverick's Enemy Planes

The Sukhoi Su-57 Felon plays the villainous part of the unidentified enemy's highly advanced "fifth generation fighters" in Top Gun: Maverick. Although the enemy's identity is never revealed in Top Gun: Maverick, the Su-57 is a Russian aircraft. Much is made of the Su-57's impressive capabilities, especially compared to the Super Hornets. Maverick even warns his students not to dogfight with these planes, as the Su-57s are more than capable of outflying the Super Hornets with a top speed of 2,130km/h.

The actual danger of the Su-57s is displayed in Top Gun: Maverick's climax, when it avoided Maverick's missile lock and outflanked the F-14. The use of the Su-57 also added a touch of realism to Top Gun: Maverick. While the nationality of the enemy forces is deliberately kept vague, Su aircraft have been used on the opposing side of many conflicts the US has an active interest in. For example, they are currently employed by the Russian airforce for the invasion of Ukraine.

P-51 Mustang

Maverick's Own Classic Plane

While the various F-series jets in Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick are instantly recognizable to viewers with knowledge of military aircraft, none can be said to be as iconic as the vintage P-51 mustang seen in Top Gun 2. The P-51 Mustang that Maverick flies in Top Gun: Maverick is not only actually piloted by Tom Cruise, but he also owns it.

The Mustang, called "Kiss Me Kate," was named after Cruise's then-wife Katie Holmes when he bought it in 2004. The Mustang was manufactured in 1946 before being restored by a previous owner in 1997. Not only did Cruise pilot the Mustang in the movie, but he also made a habit of flying to the set in it. The use of real planes in both movies shows their dedication to realism and the aircraft depicted in them.

Other Facts About The Top Gun Planes

Top Gun: Maverick Paid Steep Prices For The Use Of Real Planes

The biggest lure of both the original Top Gun and the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, was the death-defying flying sequences. The production of both movies made sure to use both real planes and those based on real planes to authenticate the experience. It also helped that Tom Cruise insists on doing as much as he can without doubles, and that included Cruise flying the P-51 Mustang in the movies, which is especially nice for the actor since he wasn't allowed to fly certain planes in the first movie for security reasons.

It also wasn't cheap to use real aircraft for the Top Gun planes. The U.S. Navy charged the Top Gun: Maverick production $11,000 an hour to use its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets (via Bloomberg). That likely is part of the reason the budget hit $171 million. Luckily, the Navy worked hand-in-hand with the production to help get more realistic shots, as many of the take-offs and landings were from actual Naval training missions that the production team was invited to shoot on-site.

In the end, it was a massive success, with the Top Gun sequel making $1.4 billion (via The Numbers) and several Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

• 

  Top Gun

  PG

  Drama

  Action

  In this classic action flick, Tom Cruise stars as daring young pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. Among the other students at the United States Navy's elite fighter weapons school, he competes to be best in the class, and learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.

  Director

  Tony Scott

  Release Date

  May 16, 1986

  Writers

  Jack Epps Jr. , Jim Cash

  Cast

  Tom Cruise , Kelly McGillis , Val Kilmer , Anthony Edwards , Tom Skerritt

  Runtime

  110 minutes

  Budget

  $15 million

• 

  Top Gun: Maverick

  PG-13

  Action

  Drama

  War

  Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 original film starring Tom Cruise as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a top-tier pilot in the Navy. Thirty years after the original film's events, Maverick is asked to head up a section of the TOP GUN program to embark on a dangerous mission. Things become personal when the program includes the son of Maverick's late friend, forcing him to confront his past.

  Director

  Joseph Kosinski

  Release Date

  May 27, 2022

  Writers

  Ashley Miller , Justin Marks , Peter Craig , Zack Stentz

  Cast

  Tom Cruise , Miles Teller , Jennifer Connelly , Val Kilmer , Jay Ellis , Jon Hamm , Bashir Salahuddin , Charles Parnell , Lewis Pullman , Glen Powell , Monica Barbaro , Ed Harris

  Runtime

  130 Minutes

  Budget

  $170 Million