Top Gun was an instant classic. But beyond sparking a beloved sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, in 2022 and taking Tom Cruise's career to MACH speeds, the flick has yet another often overlooked legacy: Producing some of the coolest behind-the-scenes snaps in cinema history.
From stunt sequences to between-takes smiles, here are 21 behind-the-scenes pics from the original Top Gun.
1
Two crew members position a prop airplane.
2
A behind-the-camera look at a miniature stunt sequence.
5
“Top Gun (1986). Tony Scott Cinematography: Jeffrey L. Kimball Photo by: Ralph Nelson.”
7
A crew member angles a model plane.
8
Your childhood game of airplane had nothing on the "Top Gun" set.
9
A glimpse at one of the rigs that brought the "Top Gun" planes to life.
10
A plane hangs off of a rig.
11
A crew member inspects a model plane.
12
It's a bird! It's a plane! But like actually, it's a plane.
13
Tom Cruise rides a motorcycle on set.
14
“Tony Scott and Tom Cruise [Top Gun]. RIP Tony.”
15
Tom Cruise prepares for a take.
17
Behind-the-scenes conversations.
18
A black-and-white image of the "Top Gun" set.
19
Tom Cruise smiles between takes.
20
Tom Cruise completes a water sequence.
