The Top Gun "MiG-28"

The MiG-28 is a fictional Soviet fighter jet featured in the movie Top Gun. It is portrayed as a menacing adversary to the American F-14 Tomcats. In reality, the aircraft used to depict the MiG-28 in the movie was a Northrop F-5E Tiger II, a US-made aggressor aircraft painted black with a red star to represent a hostile nation.

Key points about the MiG-28:

Fictional Aircraft:
The MiG-28 designation itself is non-existent in the real-world Soviet/Russian MiG aircraft lineup, which uses odd numbers (e.g., MiG-21, MiG-29).

Aggressor Aircraft:
The F-5E was chosen for its ability to mimic the performance and agility of Soviet fighters, making it a suitable stand-in for training and simulated combat scenarios.

Visual Appearance:
The MiG-28 was given a distinctive all-black paint scheme and a red star marking to enhance its menacing and foreign appearance, contrasting with the American aircraft.

The MiG-28 serves as a foil for the main characters, Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and Lt.JG. Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, representing the enemy threat in the film's aerial combat sequences.

The MiG-28 is purely a cinematic creation and does not represent an actual Soviet aircraft.

Disclaimer: Images are for reference only, and may not depict the actual subject spoken about.

Copyright 2025, © Aviation Station Media