Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2023 September 20

= September 20 =

Is any F-18 Hornet shown in Top Gun? (Why not?)
The 1986 blockbuster Top Gun of course starred the F-14 Tomcat, featuring the F-5 Tiger and the A-4 Skyhawk in supporting roles, but also displaying many other jet aircraft in 'extra' roles or just in the background of some shots, like the A-6 Intruder, the A-7 Corsair II, the T-2 Buckeye and others. But it seems that not a single F-18 Hornet is shown at all, although the Hornet entered US Navy service in 1984. Am I right with that? If so: Why, presumably? --KnightMove (talk) 15:22, 20 September 2023 (UTC)


 * Apparently not; see Every Type Of Fighter Jet Used In The Top Gun Movies.
 * As to why not, maybe because there were none nearby - McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet says that flight testing was at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, then the first two operational squadrons moved from California to Florida in January 1985, before film shooting began in May 1985 at Miramar, California. Alansplodge (talk) 15:59, 20 September 2023 (UTC)
 * That was just when the F/A-18 began being shown. Previously stock footage of F/A-18 testing was used in the television show Airwolf to (poorly) make it appear that the Airwold helicopter shot down two hornets. Stock footage would not be good enough for the Top Gun movie. Therefore, it was necessary to have actual aircraft, which were not available to CVW-15, which supplied the actual pilots and aircraft, until the mid-90s. 97.82.165.112 (talk) 16:39, 20 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Sounds compelling - thank you both. --KnightMove (talk) 05:02, 21 September 2023 (UTC)