# Odd description for the movie Top Gun **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806 "2009-04-21T02:22:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/1 "2009-04-21T02:22:32Z")
from [tvlistings.zap2it.com](http://tvlistings.zap2it.com) “Top Gun (1986) A hot-shot Navy jet pilot tangles with MiGs and flirts with a civilian astrophysicist.” I don’t remember that. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/2 "2009-04-21T02:25:53Z")
All I remember was the bodies of sweaty, nearly-naked men writhing around and grasping each other with vigor. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/3 "2009-04-21T02:29:01Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > from [tvlistings.zap2it.com](http://tvlistings.zap2it.com) > > “Top Gun (1986) > A hot-shot Navy jet pilot tangles with MiGs and flirts with a civilian astrophysicist.” > > I don’t remember that. More like, “has sex with to the strains of ‘Take My Breath Away’” but that’s about it. Charlie was the civilian astrophysicist played by Kelly McGillis ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/4 "2009-04-21T03:35:20Z")
_carefully guides the wheelchair containing The Gay Jokes into the middle of the room_ ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/5 "2009-04-21T03:45:50Z")
That summary sounds about right to me. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/6 "2009-04-21T03:58:55Z")
I don’t remember anything about Charlie being an astrophysicist, I thought that was a strange typo (why is it the job of a civilian astrophysicist to perform flight performance evaluations on pilots?) I guess I was wrong, as googling it shows a lot of hits, although they are all copies of the same tagline. My bad. Learn something new every day… ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/7 "2009-04-21T04:11:47Z")
It is utterly absurd that she would be an astrophysicist (aerospace engineer would be more like it) but that’s Hollywood for ya. They might accept the idea of a sexy female scientist, but everyone knows engineers are nerdy men with high-water pants, thick glasses and pocket protectors. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![mattomic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@mattomic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattomic)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/8 "2009-04-21T04:37:09Z")
As for tangling with MiGs, I mean, I guess, for about 10 minutes at the end of the movie as a big symbolic plot piece, but I wouldn’t call it the focus of the movie. The “others” were intentionally unidentified, but here’s what Wikipedia sez: > [@](#): > > The enemy aircraft are referred to as MiG-28s. They are painted black, with no NATO reporting name, and of unspecified nationality, but commentary on the movie’s Special-Edition DVD release states that they were originally intended to be North Korean. In real life, the MiG design bureau is a Soviet aircraft manufacturer, although they never produced an even numbered fighter model. The MIG-28 in the movie is portrayed by the American Northrop F-5 (E/F Tiger IIs). Charlie was an aerophysicist and aerial engineer, even though she didn’t seem to be particularly good at either or much of a physics-lovin’ egghead, so who knows why she was hanging around a Naval base… oh right, as a romantic lead. Yeah, I’ve seen this bad boy on basic cable more than a couple times. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/9 "2009-04-21T07:57:20Z")
> [@mattomic](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > The enemy aircraft are referred to as MiG-28s. They are painted black, with no NATO reporting name, and of unspecified nationality, but commentary on the movie’s Special-Edition DVD release states that they were originally intended to be North Korean. In real life, the MiG design bureau is a Soviet aircraft manufacturer, although they never produced an even numbered fighter model. The MIG-28 in the movie is portrayed by the American Northrop F-5 (E/F Tiger IIs). That’s odd (heh!), I never noticed that all MiG fighters have uneven numbers. I wonder why is that. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/10 "2009-04-21T08:42:18Z")
> [@mattomic](#): > > As for tangling with MiGs, I mean, I guess, for about 10 minutes at the end of the movie as a big symbolic plot piece, . Wasn’t there also a scene at the start with Maverick and another pilot that ended in an observer / co-pilot getting killed? ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/11 "2009-04-21T13:00:06Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Wasn’t there also a scene at the start with Maverick and another pilot that ended in an observer / co-pilot getting killed? No, the scene at the start was Maverick and Goose flying upside-down over a MiG while giving the other pilot the finger and taking a Polaroid picture. The “co-pilot getting killed” part happened during their training at the Top Gun facility. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/12 "2009-04-21T13:41:11Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > That’s odd (heh!), I never noticed that all MiG fighters have uneven numbers. I wonder why is that. Soviet convention (or possibly internal MiG one, Googling doesn’t make that very clear) of using exclusively odd numbers for Fighter planes. Even numbered planes are bombers, experimental planes and so on. Similar to the convention that NATO nicknames for Soviet fighter and fighter/bomber planes should start with an F (Foxtrot, Foxbat, Fishbed, Fulcrum, Fitter…) while strategic bombers get a B (Bear, Backfire, Blackjack…) and helos get an H (Hind, Havoc, Halo…) ---
**Author:** ![Zany\_Zeolite\_Zipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zany\_Zeolite\_Zipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zany_Zeolite_Zipper)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/13 "2009-04-21T14:33:58Z")
Have you seen the [Top Gun](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX1sgZVGBUw) remake? ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/14 "2009-04-21T15:18:05Z")
> [@Sauron](#): > > No, the scene at the start was Maverick and Goose flying upside-down over a MiG while giving the other pilot the finger and taking a Polaroid picture. > > The “co-pilot getting killed” part happened during their training at the Top Gun facility. How come the tail fins didn’t bang into each other when they were flying upside down over the MiG? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/15 "2009-04-21T15:19:44Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > How come the tail fins didn’t bang into each other when they were flying upside down over the MiG? F14 Tomcats have two tail fins, the ‘MiG’ had one. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/16 "2009-04-21T15:22:12Z")
And the tiniest little crosswind or turn, shift, slide, bank, stall, lift, or anything else didn’t happen to either aircraft? uh huh. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/17 "2009-04-21T15:23:02Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > How come the tail fins didn’t bang into each other when they were flying upside down over the MiG? I understood the Mig-28 to be an entirely mythical plane, so it can have any shape it wants, no? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/18 "2009-04-21T15:24:54Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > It is utterly absurd that she would be an astrophysicist (aerospace engineer would be more like it) but that’s Hollywood for ya. They might accept the idea of a sexy female scientist, but everyone knows engineers are nerdy men with high-water pants, thick glasses and pocket protectors. :rolleyes: So, did you also have a problem with Denise Richards playing a nuclear physicist bomb-defuser in _The World is Not Enough_? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/19 "2009-04-21T15:37:05Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > everyone knows engineers are nerdy men with high-water pants, thick glasses and pocket protectors. :rolleyes: Hey! I don’t even own a pocket protector. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806/20 "2009-04-21T15:53:46Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I understood the Mig-28 to be an entirely mythical plane, so it can have any shape it wants, no? Well you have a point there. Do you have to think Russian when you fly the mig-28s as well? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-description-for-the-movie-top-gun/493806.md?page=2)