TOP GUN: MAVERICK DARKSTAR - A CLOSER LOOK
The darkstar top gun jet is the hypersonic stealth aircraft flown by Tom Cruise's Maverick at the start of Top Gun: Maverick, a hyper-realistic concept built with Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works and inspired by the still-secret SR-72. It is a movie-made aircraft rather than a flying production jet, drawing clear visual cues from the legendary SR-71 Blackbird.
What is the Top Gun Maverick Darkstar?
Top Gun: Maverick dominated the box office thanks to its riveting narrative and accurate depiction of dogfighting in real aircraft. The Lockheed Darkstar is one of the stars of the show, real or not. Early in the movie, Tom Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, playing the test pilot, flies the top-secret stealth jet, and the aircraft in Top Gun: Maverick quickly became a talking point for aviation fans.
Is the Darkstar based on the SR-71 Blackbird?
The cutting-edge aircraft is strikingly similar to another renowned Lockheed design, the SR-71 Blackbird, which is why searches for top gun blackbird and blackbird top gun lead straight to the Darkstar. The same Skunk Works heritage that produced the Blackbird shaped the look of this fictional jet, giving it that unmistakable high-speed silhouette.
How was the Darkstar created?
While the SR-72 is still in development, the designers of Top Gun: Maverick worked with Lockheed Martin to create the Darkstar, which draws inspiration from SR-72 concept art that is now on display. Lockheed's Skunk Works division helped bring the aircraft to life as a full-sized physical mockup and an airborne CGI version, though the company stresses that Darkstar remains a concept designed specifically for the movie. The story behind the build was reported by Space.com, and you can see the mockup in the behind the scenes video.
Bring aviation icons into your collection
If the Darkstar fuels your love of flight, TheArsenale curates real aircraft and aviation art in the same spirit. Discover the Valkyrie private aircraft, the hybrid-electric Atea aircraft and the amphibious Icon A5, or add the museum-grade Two Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N905NA artwork by Benedict Redgrove. Explore the full aero collection to take your collection to the skies.
Photo: Lockheed Martin / Top Gun
