Russian MiG-28 fighter from Top Gun in three words

A real fighter: In the 1986 film Top Gun, the fictional enemy MiG-28 aircraft was actually depicted as a black-painted Northrop F-5, adorned with a red star emblem to symbolize the Cold War enemy. The F-5 was unique in that it was privately funded by Northrop without an initial government contract.

– Designed as a low-cost, high-performance fighter, it excels in both air superiority and ground attack. The aircraft could climb at 34,500 feet per minute and reach a service ceiling of 51,800 feet in about 90 seconds, with a top speed of Mach 1.63. Armed with two 20mm M39A2 cannons and seven hardpoints for additional weapons, the F-5 served primarily with US Air Force aggressor squadrons.

“It also became the basis for the T-38 Kogot, the world’s most widely produced supersonic trainer aircraft, which trained generations of pilots.

The real story of the MiG-28 from Top Gun: meet the Northrop F-5

Top shooter (1986) it’s a film full of iconic dialogue, iconic scenes, and iconic planes.

One of the most memorable moments in the film occurs during a training seminar in which Charlie, a civilian contractor, introduces the Top Gun class to the MiG-28 aircraft invented for the film.

“So, as most of you know, the F-5 does not have the thrust-to-weight ratio that the MiG-28 has. And it doesn’t consume power below 300 knots like the MiG-28. However, the MiG-28 has a problem with inverted flight tanks. It won’t push away negative G.” – Charlie. explains. “The latest intelligence tells us that the most he can do is one negative…”

Charlie stops because two of her students, Goose and Maverick, are having a destructive discussion in whispers. – Excuse me, Lieutenant, is something wrong?

Maverick explains that the data on the MiG-28 is inaccurate. “We I accidentally saw a MiG-28 make a negative dive at 4g.”

Of course, the flight parameters of the MiG-28 are clean fictionbecause the MiG-28 is pure fantasy. But unlike Top Gun continuationwhere enemy aircraft resembling the Su-57 (referred to vaguely as “fifth generation fighters” in the film) were depicted using CGI, the MiG-28 is depicted using a real aircraft enhanced by special effects.

To create the fictional MiG-28, the Top Gun team took a Northrop F-5 and painted it black with a red star emblem meant to convey some foreign communist threat from the mid-80s – presumably the Soviet Union or perhaps North Korea.

Let’s take a closer look at the F-5, real MiG-28.

Introducing the F-5

The F-5 is strange in that the project was privately funded. Northrop, seeking to create a low-cost, low-maintenance, high-performance fighter, began building the F-5 without a government contract. Northrop’s gambit resulted in a small, simple aircraft that was capable of air superiority but could also be used for ground attacks.

The F-5 was agile and sleek, capable of climbing at 34,500 feet per minute and reaching an operational ceiling of 51,800 feet in just 90 seconds. In addition to its impressive climb rate, the F-5 had a respectable top speed of Mach 1.63, but its range was limited to just 554 miles.

For armament, the F-5 carried two 20mm M39A2 Revolver cannons, as well as seven hardpoints for missiles, rockets and bombs.

Although the F-5 does not have a particularly distinguished history of service in the US Air Force – it was primarily used in aggressor squadrons – the aircraft did serve as the basis for the legendary T-38 Talon, which holds the title of the world’s most capable supersonic trainer aircraft. The T-38 was used to train subsequent generations of Air Force pilots, many of whom likely signed up for it in the first place due to the F-14 vs. MiG-28 episodes in The best shooter.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Cass is a defense and national security writer who has written a total of more than 1,000 articles on global issues. A lawyer, pilot, guitarist and minor professional hockey player, Harrison enlisted in the United States Air Force as a trainee pilot but was discharged due to health reasons. Harrison received a bachelor’s degree from Lake Forest College, a J.D. from the University of Oregon, and a master’s degree from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

Image credit: Creative Commons.