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.
4
“Top Gun (1986). Tony Scott Cinematography: Jeffrey L. Kimball Photo by: Ralph Nelson.”
6
A crew member angles a model plane.
7
Your childhood game of airplane had nothing on the "Top Gun" set.
8
A glimpse at one of the rigs that brought the "Top Gun" planes to life.
9
A plane hangs off of a rig.
10
A crew member inspects a model plane.
11
It's a bird! It's a plane! But like actually, it's a plane.
12
Tom Cruise rides a motorcycle on set.
13
“Tony Scott and Tom Cruise [Top Gun]. RIP Tony.”
14
Tom Cruise prepares for a take.
16
Behind-the-scenes conversations.
17
A black-and-white image of the "Top Gun" set.
18
Tom Cruise smiles between takes.
19
Tom Cruise completes a water sequence.
