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Darkstar: The Supersonic Jet in Top Gun: Maverick

Supersonic Jet in Top Gun Maverick

Tom Cruise has appeared in several films since the 1980s, making him one of the highest-paid actors. One of his latest movies he's appeared in is "Dark Star: The Supersonic Jet Top Gun," where he plays Pete "Maverick ." His role involves testing and piloting the aircraft while carrying out his US Navy duties. Though this movie is purely sci-fi, the SR-72 has an actual-world pedigree. Find out all you can about this 'beast' that everyone in Hollywood is talking about.

What's the hype about Top Gun: Maverick?

Darkstar: The Supersonic Jet in Top Gun is a Porsche-like and military-grade aircraft that was Joseph Kosinski's project. Upon close observation of Darkstar's stealth aircraft, you can see the Chinese's involvement in building it. The US Navy hired Tom Cruise, who played Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, to test it while executing his pilot duties. The movie has got fans wondering; is this ultra-modern scramjet real? According to Boss Hunting, Lockheed Martin wanted this aircraft to be unique, hence painting a picture of how technology will be in the next few years. So, he got to work. He started by engineering a full-scale model with ultra-modern and realistic controls. The idea was to sell this aircraft as a reality, but it doesn't exist. Surprisingly, Martin projects that he will use this aircraft's physics to remove suspicions that it's beyond sci-fi. So, you can expect a reality tv show sooner than you think.

When interviewed about Martin's involvement in the movie, Joseph Kosinski admitted that he would never have achieved this without them working together. He claimed that there was no way Darkstar would have sparked that huge "bubble" without his help. The first thing you may notice about this out-of-this-world movie is that it's a dramatic sequence of the SR-71 Blackbird. Lockwood designed and built it in the 60s. He expected the long-awaited successor to fly as early as the early 2000s, but he scheduled it for 2025. You can expect it to enter service in the 2030s. According to Deadline, the movie's trailer shows Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell low-flying the hypersonic plane past a deserted guard post on the desert floor. Within a fraction of seconds, this plane blows the shack's roof. The behind-the-scenes trailer also shows the plane's strange shape, getting reviewers and critics talking.

Some claimed that the aircraft could be an improved version of the iconic SR-71 Blackbird, also Lockheed's concept. They even dubbed it "the fastest plane ever" since it boasts the ability to Top out a Mach 3. The most exciting part is that it can outrun missiles by the Russian military. Lockheed Martin had initially planned to release the hypersonic SR-72 in 2013. However, almost everyone has focused on Darkstar's Top Gun since Martin confirmed the former's engine test in 2017. He also announced that he might launch it in the mid-2020s. Keep in mind that its development might cost around $1 billion. Experts have come out to demystify myths about Darkstar Top Gun. The film's producers noticed that it pointed toward Lockheed Martin's "Skunk Works" division. That was the same concept on which SR-71 and its long-awaited successor, the SR-72, and the U-2 spy plane also capitalized. Martin's collaboration with Kosinski created a new outlet for making people understand how "Skunk Works" clandestine worked. Consequently, its conceptual designers felt confident enough to share their brilliant ideas with the world.

Did Lockheed Martin work alone while designing the supersonic Top Gun?

According to ScreenRant's reports, Lockheed Martin and Joseph Kosinski were the main brainchildren of Darkstar. Lockheed Martin is an aerospace and defense company that also participated in designing this aircraft and offering an expert opinion to the film's producers. Lockheed did consult the real jet fighter planes in Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski. The latter would later reveal that the design for the film's planes, not forgetting Darkstar, was inspired by "Skunk Works," also Lockheed's latest and advanced project. That proves that this airspace vehicle was inspired by its predecessor, the hypersonic SR-72. SR-71 came before SR-72, both low-flying planes covering six times the speed of sound. In layperson's language, both planes can disappear into thin air before you lift your head to see them. Despite the two being brought to the public for scrutiny, spoiler alerts suggest that Darkstar could be operational by 2030. SR-72's iconic status and out-of-this-world power make Maverick's Darkstar mind-blowing.

Spoiler's Alert

You may have noticed pre-release teasers showing Maverick dressed in an astronaut pressure suit as he straps into a futuristic hypersonic plane. You first notice that it mimics Lockheed Martin's clandestine successor, the SR-72. An idea bounces into your mind of being inspired by the iconic altitude aircraft from the Cold War. The second thing you will see is Captain "Maverick," an employed Air Force test pilot dying to fly this airspace vehicle, dubbed the Darkstar. However, this hypersonic plane's powers seem to have outrun the program's budget, so it's easy to conclude the producers are about to give up. But due to "Maverick" zeal to test the machine, he goes against his superior's orders and rebelliously dashes out before the high-flying party ends. He speeds it down the runway, going past Rear Admiral Cain, who turns off the lights on the Darkstar program. We don't want to give a detailed review of this spoiler's alert, but you can notice "Maverick" hitting some mind-blowing velocity records north of Mach 10/7,672 mph. You can also notice Lockheed Martin's logo on the pilot's stick.

Conclusion

Even though Darkstar is SR-72's successor, Tom Cruise won't test or fly it in Maverick. The pilot testing of the SR-71 won't start until at least in the mid-2020s. That means no one has come out to confirm if it's flyable. Another exciting thing about the SR-71 is that it's a national security concern, so flying it for a movie is impractical. It lacks windows and is unmanned, unlike Darkstar. So, unless the creators and engineers of SR-71 and SR-72 makers confirm if it is flyable, don't expect them to be on the skies anytime soon.

Dana Hanson

Written by Dana Hanson

Dana has extensive professional writing experience including technical and report writing, informational articles, persuasive articles, contrast and comparison, grant applications, and advertisement. She also enjoys creative writing, content writing on nearly any topic (particularly business and lifestyle), because as a lifelong learner, she loves to do research and possess a high skill level in this area. Her academic degrees include AA social Sci/BA English/MEd Adult Ed & Community & Human Resource Development and ABD in PhD studies in Indust & Org Psychology.

Read more posts by Dana Hanson

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