We are two weeks away from the release of Top Gun: Maverick in Brazilian theaters. The 36 years of waiting for those ionate about aviation are coming to an end, at the same time that the anxiety for the film also grows.
The new feature film will feature real footage of US Navy combat aircraft flown (but not piloted) by the film's cast, led by Tom Cruise. However, we will have other very interesting planes in Top Gun: Maverick, from a WWII classic to a hypersonic jet.
Let's get to know the aircraft that we will see on movie screens, as well as others that may make an appearance.
Boeing F / A-18E / F Super Hornet
Outside of the main cast, the F/A-18 Super Hornet is expected to be a protagonist in Top Gun: Maverick. The model replaced the F-14 Tomcat that was in the first film in 1986 and will also be part of a new feature film.
https://www.facebook.com/Scramblemagazine/photos/us-navy-hornet-pilot-reacts-to-latest-top-gun-maverick-trailernice-to-watch-and-/3264595736900271/
Manufactured by Boeing, the Super Hornet derives from the older F/A-18 Hornet. The aircraft is in use in the US and Australia and was also acquired by the Kuwaiti Air Force, which is awaiting the receipt of its units.
With the retirement of the F-14 in 2006, the Super Hornet became the US Navy's main fighter jet, but is already sharing the aircraft carrier deck with the modern F-35C.
The exact number of Super Hornets used in filming is unknown, but at least three planes — two single-seat F/A-18Es and a two-seat F/A-18F — were custom-built especially for the film, given a blue livery. and black on the back and external fuel tank.
After filming, the US Navy transferred two of the planes to the Blue Angels, its aerial demonstration team. The actors flew in the back seat of the F/A-18F, but several scenes with aviators from the Navy were recorded in the F/A-18E.
Grumman F-14A Tomcat
The classic Tomcat will be back in Top Gun: Maverick. The jet that starred in the 1986 film alongside Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer returned to the skies for the film, but with the help of Computer Graphics.
For 32 years the F-14 was the US Navy's highest performing fighter, capable of exceeding Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound), but its service in the United States came to an end in 2006. However, the model still follows in service in Iran, the only country to which it was exported.
Although it didn't actually fly like the Super Hornet, a real F-14 was used during filming. Paramount Pictures, the film's producer, "borrowed" the F-14A Tomcat registration 159631, which was preserved at the San Diego Aerospace Museum.
The plane was even taken to the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, which was docked in San Diego, where it was recorded with the emergency landing barriers raised.
It is believed that the model will appear in the film in some way with the enemy faction, due to the stickers applied to both the promotional toy and the plane used in the filming. Despite being questioned, the presence of the F-14 in the new film is clear from the first trailers and has been reinforced in the last teasers, as we highlighted. in this recent article.
North American P-51 Mustang
When talking about aviation in World War II, the name Mustang always comes to mind. The P-51 is certainly the most famous fighter used by the USA in that period, very recognized for its performance, design and the noble mission of escorting bombers.
Although Top Gun was a production about naval aviators, the P-51 was actually an aircraft of the then US Army Air Force. Still, the classic single engine will be in the movie as Maverick's personal plane.
Even more interesting is that the P-51 belongs to Tom Cruise himself. ed as the N51EW, this Mustang was manufactured in 1944 in Dallas as a P-51K, and was later converted to the F-6K Photo Reconnaissance version.
The aircraft was restored in 1997 and acquired by the movie star years later, who renamed it “Kiss me Kate”, in honor of his ex-wife and actress Katie Holmes. The aircraft also received a second seat.
Cruise may not have flown the Navy's supersonic jets, but he did fly his own World War II fighter a lot, both on film and in the movie. clip of Hold My Hand, by Lady Gaga, the theme song from Top Gun: Maverick.
He also flew with actress Jeniffer Connelly, who will play the role of Penny Benjamin, Maverick's love interest and a strong reference to the first film. The actress said that Tom helped her overcome her fear of flying during filming.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdI4UsWLpbh/
Darkstar
In the new film, Maverick acts as a test pilot and flies a secret aircraft called the Darkstar. Little was known about the plane until the appearance of spoilers, trailers and the clip of Lady Gaga. This is likely to be one of the first planes we see in the movie.
The first clear image of the secret aircraft was actually released by motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki, which produces the Ninja motorcycles used in both films.
It is possible to observe that the fictional jet has its design inspired by the Lockheed SR-72, a project that would replace the legendary SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest aircraft ever made on a production line.
Amazingly, it's not a coincidence: engineers at Skunk Works, Lockheed Martin's secret design division, helped Paramount design and build Darkstar. The aircraft was so realistic that China it even redirected a satellite to spy on it.
Sukhoi Su-57 Felon
One of the most surprising participations is that of the Su-57 Felon, the first and only 5th Generation fighter in service with Russia in.
For a long time there was a mystery about what would be the enemy fighter in Top Gun: Maverick. In the 1986 film, the US Navy's own F-5E/F Tiger II fighters were painted black and given USSR-like markings to represent the MiG-28, a fictional model.
Logically the then Soviet Union would not lend fighter jets for a film and Russia would not do the same. The producer made the plane through computer graphics and its first appearance was in a trailer published by a cinema chain in Slovenia, where it is possible to see the jet being shot down by the classic Tomcat, something that has also been generating controversy among enthusiasts.
In another recent publication, the Su-57 serves as the background for an image of the character Coyote, played by actor Greg Tarzan Davis.
https://www.facebook.com/TopGunMovie/photos/a.263104600369028/5543342492345186
Bonus: F-35B/C
Despite not appearing in any Top Gun: Maverick trailers, it is believed that the F-35 Lightning II can be seen in the film. The stealth jet is among the official promotional toys for the film produced by Matchbox, a division of Mattel.
The US Navy operates the F-35C aboard its aircraft carriers. However, the toy represents an F-35B, vertical landing and takeoff, used by the Marine Corps.
