TOP 10 FIGHTER JETS FROM MOVIES
- Aviation Features
- Top 10 fighter jets from movies
18th August 2020
FEATURE
From Top Gun and Iron Man to True Lies and Independence Day, the world’s most advanced fighters have had starring roles in many a film…
TOP GUN
Aircraft: F-14 Tomcat
Talk to me Goose. The F-14 Tomcat was the US Navy’s premier fighter aircraft for over 30 years. The big swing-wing jet could fly at over Mach 2.3 and, when equipped with the AIM-54 Phoenix missile, was able to engage targets up to 100 miles away.
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Aircraft: F-35B Lightning II
Quite simply, the most advanced combat aircraft ever built. Using stealth to penetrate enemy air defences and deliver the knock-out blow, the F-35 is packed with unprecedented levels of technology. Sensor-fusion gives pilots unparalleled situational awareness, whilst advanced electronic warfare capabilities render enemy radars useless. Precision-guided munitions make light work of big-rig trucks, too.
TRUE LIES
Aircraft: Harrier ‘Jump Jet’
Designed in the 1960s to stop Soviet armour, the Harrier was the first fighter aircraft with the unique ability to hover. The aircraft scored over 20 kills without air-to-air loss in the Falklands campaign, and two generations of the Harrier served the RAF/RN for more than 40 years.
IRON EAGLE
Aircraft: F-16 Fighting Falcon
Known by its pilots as the ‘Viper’, the F-16 is one of the world’s most popular fighter aircraft. More than 4,600 have been delivered and today at least 28 nations fly the lightweight, multi-role jet. Despite first flying in 1974 the aircraft remains in production, with new orders signed as recently as August 2020.
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Aircraft: SR-71 Blackbird
The SR-71 is the fastest and highest-flying operational air-breathing aircraft in history. It holds the absolute speed record and sustained altitude records of 2,193 mph and 85,069ft respectively. The Blackbird conducted reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union and other areas of interest for 30 years, using its phenomenal speed to outrun over 800 surface-to-air missiles.
IRON MAN
Aircraft: F-22 Raptor
The world’s first fifth-generation fighter aircraft, the F-22 Raptor combines stealth with super manoeuvrability. To ensure the Raptor stays hidden from radar, weapons are carried in internal bays and thrust-vectoring exhaust nozzles give it the edge in a dogfight. The US originally planned to build over 700 aircraft but budget costs reduced this figure to just 187.