When the producers and directors of the 1980s blockbuster Top Gun felt “a need, a need for speed,” they turned to the F-14 Tomcat to fit the bill. The aircraft has been one of the nation’s premier fighter jets since the fleet was introduced in the early 1970s.
But the F-14 really gained popularity among the public following the film’s release in 1986. This weekend, Top Gun: Maverick — a sequel to the original movie — was released, grossing $124 million and giving the film’s star, Tom Cruise, his biggest opening ever, according to Box Office Mojo.
Now, movie buffs and jet-fighter fans can see the original plane that started it all aboard the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas.
“Its sophisticated radar/missile combination enables it to simultaneously track 24 separate targets and attack up to six with Phoenix missiles at up to 100 miles away,” the USS Lexington’s press release stated. “The aircraft has variable-geometry wings that sweep back automatically during flight maneuvers; they extend for long range flight and landings, sweeping back for high-speed light.”
According to the USS Lexington website, the F-14 can reach a maximum speed of 1,544 miles per hour.
Steve Banta, who works aboard the USS Lexington, told ABC News that this specific plane was the one that earned the most screen time throughout the earlier film.
It has been painted to match the markings shown in the movie, including Lt. Mitchell’s name and callsign.
The jet was restored two years ago, with some input from the public.
“People got to vote on what squadron markings would go on the aircraft. The vast majority of people voted to make it look like the movie did in 1986,” Banta told ABC. “We have been told by some guests that they came out of their way just to go see the way that aircraft is painted.”
The plane was outfitted with cameras expressly for the sake of the film, and the crew recorded a substantial portion of the exciting action sequences in the air that were seen in the movie.
According to Banta, there was a considerable spike in the number of people who submitted applications to join the Navy after the first movie in the series was released to the public.
This aircraft is on loan to the USS Lexington from the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida. Tickets for a tour of the USS Lexington and an up-close look at the iconic plane can be found here.
