Is the first plane in Top Gun real?
Isabella Bartlett
Updated on January 16, 2026
Without delving into the movie plot, one can say that even though the plane of the screen isn't real, the capabilities it showcases aren't completely fictional either. Hypersonic planes have been on the priority list of the U.S. military for quite a while now.
Did they use real planes in Top Gun?
Always a real aircraft.” "Our cast had to be in the aircraft for every shot. So when they're delivering those epic performances, they are really in there pulling those Gs. Production went to great lengths to design that in-cockpit IMAX camera set up so those actors could be in there, doing that.What planes are in the beginning of Top Gun?
- This still from "Top Gun: Maverick" shows a cameo by Lockheed Martin's SR-72 hypersonic stealth plane in development now. ( ...
- A look at the fictional piloted version of the SR-72 Darkstar hypersonic plane in "Top Gun: Maverick." ( ...
- Artist rendering of Lockheed Martin's SR-72 (Image credit: Lockheed Martin)