Col. Crackpot wrote:One thing that may be deemed excuseable is the portrayal of contemporay Soviet hardware in Western films during the cold war. Put yourself in 1980's. where the hell do you get a MiG 31 or a T-80/90 for use in your film? Or an current model Hind? You don't. It's not like you could just call the Soviet embassy and say "Hey, can we borrow a squadron of those new Foxbats? We're making a movie where the heroic American pilot shoots down MiG's by the dozen and...hello?.....hello?"
Up to a point, yes. The Hind mockups especially usually deserve extra points for effort if not accuracy, and american aircraft are propably the easiest for US movie crews to get their hands on.
THe F-5 Migs in TopGun were not so bad- few non-aircaft nuts will recognize that one, and the nuts will be howling about the Tomcats changing load-out in mid-flight anyway.
But trying to pass
Phantoms off as Migs? That just about the most widely recognized fighter on the bloody planet!! Don't tell me the Israelis didn't have anything else, because they sure as hell did in Part One! How bout using them Kfirs again?
Actual MiGs were certainly not an option but how about something less recognizable? IIRC they used Saab Draakens in several Airwolf episodes as well as that atrocious Nick Cage Apache movie the name of which escapes me ATM.
Or how about models? Worked for Firefox, and it's not like we're talking shoestring budget made-for-TV movies here.
And on a completely unrelated note, can anybody tell me what those aircraft were they used in 'Hot Shots'? I
think they're Folland Gnats but I somehow never get around to taping that movie and checking...