Sky-High Speed: Unveiling the Lightning Velocity of Mach 10 in Top Gun: Maverick

Highlights

Top Gun: Maverick broke records, becoming Tom Cruise's first movie to make over $1 billion and is hailed as one of the best aviation movies ever.

Maverick accomplishes the remarkable feat of exceeding the Mach 10 speed limit in the movie, a velocity that is essentially unattainable for a human due to the immense gravitational forces involved and the potential harm it may inflict on the human body.

Although the real-world SR-72, upon which the Darkstar prototype is modeled, is currently in the process of being developed, it will not come anywhere near the Mach 10 speed depicted in the film.

Top Gun: Maverick, released last year, emerged as a highly successful film, surpassing numerous records and earning the distinction of being Tom Cruise's first movie to cross the $1 billion mark. This achievement is particularly noteworthy in a cinematic landscape dominated by superhero blockbusters. Regarded as one of the finest aviation films ever made, Top Gun: Maverick captivates audiences with its adrenaline-fueled action sequences and high-speed aerial maneuvers.

Within the movie, Captain Pete Mitchell breaks the Mach 10 speed barrier, a feat that, in reality, may be unattainable for the human body due to the tremendous pressure it would endure. Nevertheless, Maverick not only surpasses this barrier but even exceeds it, propelling himself to become the fastest individual on the planet. This begs the question: just how fast is Mach 10?

What Is Top Gun: Maverick About?

In Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise reprises his role as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell from the original 1986 film. The story starts with Maverick's efforts to protect his prototype program, Darkstar, after the Air Force decides to invest in unmanned drones. Determined to save the program, Maverick goes against orders and attempts to break the speed limit, leading to the destruction of his plane.

Luckily, Maverick's old friend, Tom Kazansky, who is now in command of the US Pacific fleets, steps in and saves him from being fired. As a result, Maverick is given a new and seemingly impossible task - training a group of young and highly skilled soldiers with the mission of destroying an unauthorized uranium plant.

Throughout the training process, Maverick comes face to face with haunting memories of his past when he encounters Bradley Bradshaw, the son of his deceased friend, Nick "Goose" Bradshaw. Despite Maverick's efforts to discourage Bradley from joining the recently graduated team of Top Guns, Bradley remains determined to participate.

When Does Maverick Go Mach 10?

Maverick's prototype jet, Darkstar, showcases its incredible speed as it soars past Mach 10. Though Darkstar is a fictional creation, it serves as a nickname for the SR-72, an advanced reconnaissance aircraft developed by Skunk Works. This renowned aircraft manufacturer is situated in the heart of the Mojave desert, which serves as the primary backdrop for the movie. In line with the film's storyline, Darkstar emerges as a Skunk Works project. While the existence of Darkstar remains unverified, there are theories that a prototype version may in fact be real. Visually, the SR-72, also known as Darkstar, boasts a sleek and stealthy design, bearing striking similarities to the concept SR-72 render unveiled in 2017.

Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell initiates the plot by defying authority and commandeering the advanced prototype jet DarkStar. His purpose is to demonstrate his superiority over robotic jets and prevent the navy from redirecting all resources towards drones by shutting down his jet. Maverick, along with his team, undertakes intense training to maximize the capabilities of DarkStar. Collaboratively, they strive to preserve the program. During an aerial maneuver, Maverick deliberately disregards Admiral Chester Cain's orders, pretending to encounter communication issues.

Although Maverick effortlessly achieves Mach 8 speeds, the aircraft encounters difficulty in surpassing this limit. However, gradually, the aircraft overcomes these struggles and demonstrates incremental progress. It is important to note that as the velocity increases, the surface temperature of the aircraft increases exponentially. Despite this formidable obstacle, Maverick relentlessly pushes onward, shattering the Mach 10 barrier. In an audacious endeavor to go even faster, he reaches an extraordinary speed of Mach 10.3. Tragically, the engine fails due to the immense stress, compelling him to abandon the aircraft and essentially sacrifice it.

How Fast Is Mach 10?

Mach is a commonly used unit in aviation to measure an object's speed relative to the speed of sound. The achievement of Mach 10 has been previously attained by a manless aircraft known as X-43A, which was developed by NASA as an experimental aircraft for testing hypersonic speeds. Mach 10 equates to a speed of approximately 3.43 kilometers per second or 12,348 kilometers per hour, equivalent to 7,680 miles per hour.

Reaching Mach 10 speed is practically impossible for humans due to the tremendous amount of G-forces involved. G-force refers to the stress experienced by pilots during flight. On average, a human can only withstand 4 to 6 G-forces for a short period before facing negative effects. Pilot training involves rigorous preparation to endure higher levels of G-forces. On average, trained pilots can tolerate up to 9 G-forces for a brief duration. Anything beyond this or sustained for a longer period can negatively impact internal organs or potentially cause a person to lose consciousness.

In Top Gun: Maverick, Maverick flies the Darkstar at a speed of Mach 10, which would subject him to approximately 34 G-force. Surviving such forces would be nearly impossible for a human as it would cause severe internal damage. Additionally, the film shows Maverick ejecting from the Darkstar at Mach 10.3, which in reality would result in immediate death due to the air density outside.

The real-life SR-72, currently in development, is expected to be operational by 2023. However, it will not be able to achieve anywhere near the Mach 10 speed. The SR-71 had a top speed of Mach 3.3, and its successor is projected to reach Mach 6.