Top Gun’s New Plane Creates Social Media Debate

The 1980’s classic, ‘Top Gun,’ is getting a big screen follow-up in 2019 — but this sequel might have a big twist.

Last week, Tom Cruise tweeted a picture of a Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet on the set of Top Gun: Maverick. Cruise’s tweet prompted widespread speculation on social media that Tom Cruise’s “Maverick” would be flying a Boeing Super Hornet in the sequel — not a Lockheed Martin F-35.

The appearance of a Boeing Super Hornet in Cruise’s tweet set off a furious debate over which of the U.S. military’s jets should be featured in the film — taking over Twitter for several hours.

The U.S. Air Force argued that if “Maverick” really had a need for speed, he would fly their preferred Boeing jet — the F-15E Strike Eagle, which has a top speed of 1,875 miles per hour. The U.S. Navy responded — letting the U.S. Air Force know which jet was number 1 in their mind.

Back to Posts