Laid for its intricate actions, thrilling portrayal of extreme aerial dogfighting, and Top Gυп: At the box office, Maeick has quickly become a mainstream success.
But the authorities couldn’t have done it without enlisting the expertise of some of the world’s foremost experts in all things space-related, and this specifically includes turning to Lockheed Martin. Ma’ati Skk Works with students to control their physics-based Daksta hypersonic jet.
Without giving away too many narrative details, the Daksta airlift is a key plot point as Pete “Maeick” Mitchell (Tom Cise), a test pilot for the US Navy, talks about his past. The futuristic fighter plane is a jaw-dropping addition to the hyped-up visuals of the movie, but it may also evoke fond memories for aviation enthusiasts due to its resemblance to one of history’s most revered aircraft, the SR-71 Blackbird.
The film’s plot points were taken from Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division, which is responsible for the SR-71, its successor the SR-72, and the U-2 espionage plane, while looking for some experienced assistance in capturing the Daksta after. This collaboration created a few opportunities for conceptual designers from Skunk Works to express themselves, with the idea that this paternalistic design was the best example of how they could interact with the outside world, as conceptual designer “Jim” explains in this video.
