Futuristic Darkstar plane from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ lands in Palm Springs. How to see it
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Visitors to the Palm Springs Air Museum will be able to meet a star of the 2022 blockbuster "Top Gun: Maverick." It won't be Tom Cruise but the Darkstar "aircraft" the Hollywood star pilots in the film.
In the film, the military jet has the capability to reach hypersonic speeds. But even though Tom Cruise sat in the exact "jet" on the tarmac, Palm Springs Air Museum Director Fred Bell laughed when asked about the its actual speed and said "zero." That's because the Darkstar is a prop, arrived to the museum on a flatbed truck, was assembled in a maintenance hangar and was shown being towed into the rear of the museum in a Friday video.
"If (the Darkstar) exists, nobody is talking about it because it's top secret," Bell said.
The black jet features a skunk on the tail, which is a reference to Skunk Works, a division of Lockheed Martin's classified research and development programs, along with its aircraft number, 101795.
The prototype is on site for the museum's 2024 annual gala and the details of how long it will be on display are TBA. But the Darkstar will be the subject of four presentations at the museum, 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, by a representative from Lockheed Martin on:
Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m.
March 1 at 5:30 p.m.
March 20 at 5:30 p.m.
March 27 at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets are $60 and will be available on Feb. 12 at palmspringsairmuseum.org
Bell said the jet's capabilities portrayed in the film are similar to the Lockheed Martin SR-71 Blackbird used by the U.S. Air Force.
"I would say it's a demonstration shaped from the film and what could be. It generates a ton of interest," Bell said. "It's really about speed, three to five times the speed of sound. If it exists, that's where this aircraft would shine because it's just so fast. With the SR-71, no one could catch it. It was a reconnaissance plane when it was operating and the Russians could not stop it. It could go anywhere in the world to take pictures or do whatever."
The first public display
Since the film's release, Bell said the prototype has traveled to Edwards Air Force Base and some other locations, but hasn't been on display to the general public. Darkstar's current residence is Lockheed Martin's Palmdale manufacturing facility known as Plant 42, but it will likely be sent to a museum in the future.
"Obviously, we'd like it because we want to interpret it into our next-generation hangar we're building to talk about hypersonics and stuff like that. I don't know whether they'll let us keep it or not, so we'll see. It'll be exciting if they do," Bell said.
Bell said the importance of displaying Darkstar is to stir the imaginations of younger people and consider different opportunities and careers in aviation.
"They can really go anywhere and the sky's the limit. There's no question some of these kids we're seeing now in elementary school are going to go beyond the planet, in orbit or to Mars. The key thing is getting excited about that," Bell said.
Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 'Top Gun: Maverick' jet lands at Palm Springs Air Museum
