21 Cringeworthy Errors in the Movie TOP GUN

Yes, one of the greatest aviation movies of all time, but full of technical errors nonetheless. (I KNOW it’s just Hollywood, but we care about tech details here, especially when they apply to the F-14.) Ward reviews the 21 most cringeworthy among them. WARNING: Once you watch this episode you may never view TOP GUN the same again. 1. (5:00) RIO’s radar presentation shows a 360-degree PPI presentation. Tomcat’s radar only sweeps 65 degrees either side of the nose. (Wouldn’t want a radar that pointed back at the crews. That would be a huge radiation hazard, to put it mildly.) 2. (8:00) Cougar transmits: “This bogey’s all over me. He’s got missile lock. Do I have permission to fire?” Well, whatever the ROE, the question is moot until you do some pilot shit and actually maneuver your jet into an offensive. 3. (9:01) As far as Maverick’s “4-G inverted dive” (as Charlie later labels it) goes, if the two airplanes were that close the Tomcat’s vertical stabs would be jammed into the MiG-28. 4. (9: