McDonnell Douglas F/A-18E Super Hornet – NAWDC, US Navy, NAS Fallon, NV, Top Gun: Maverick Filming 2019

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA5129: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18E Super Hornet of USN NAWDC, NAS Fallon, NV, Top Gun: Maverick Filming 2019. Production run of 2,000 models.

Length 10 inches Wingspan 7.5 inches

The filming of “TOPGUN: Maverick” in 2019 coincided with the 50th Anniversary of Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Centre (NAWDC) at NAS Fallon, NV. Due to production delays and Covid the movie wasn’t released until 2022. During the filming 3 F/A-18s were used for various scenes with two aircraft wearing the same numbers 00 and pilot’s name under the cockpit. Altogether there were three aircraft used during the filming, two F/A-18Es (165636 first and then 165667) and one F/A-18F (165796) with the latter one used to film with Tom Cruise in the backseat.

Designed as a replacement for the A-4 Skyhawk and the A-7 Corsair II and as a complement to the F-14 Tomcat, the F/A-18 first flew on November 18, 1978. Perhaps best known as the aircraft of the US Navy’s Blue Angels, this carrier-capable, supersonic, all-weather fighter has many roles, including fighter escort, fleet air defence and close air support. The F/A-18 is a versatile aircraft: it can operate from carriers or land bases and a single switch converts it from fighter to strike mode. During Operation Desert Storm, the F/A-18 proved that, on a single mission, one aircraft could serve as both fighter and a bomber.