Topgun:Maverick’s Dogfight Scene Inspired by Su-57’s Incredible Mobility: Russian Pilot

A scene in the 2022 Hollywood movie “Topgun: Maverick” which shows the hero, Tom Cruise involved in a dogfight with a Su-57 stealth fighter was inspired by actual maneuvers that the latest Russian stealth fighter jet has been performing.

Sergey Bogdan, the 60 year old senior test pilot of the Su-57 said that he and his team had developed a maneuver where the plane rapidly accelerates vertically, remains stationary in the air for a few seconds and then spirals down to a certain altitude before leveling off is reproduced in the famous dogfight scene in the Hollywood movie, Topgun: Maverick.

In the movie scene, an American F-14 Tomcat is seen chasing and engaging in a breathtaking dogfight with the Russian Su-57.

The Russian aircraft accelerates and evades missiles from the American fighter by executing a rapid ascent and spiral descent maneuver. “The maneuver I am referring to was later featured in the movie, Top Gun:Maverick. I have demonstrated this here (at Aero India 2025) as well. It showcases how an aircraft can quickly achieve high angles of attack, decelerate and transition to low speed.”

An aircraft lacking this ability can find itself in the line of fire of the enemy pretty quickly, he said.

Bogdan who piloted the aircraft to Bangalore from Russia and performing incredible aerobatics at the Aero India 2025 air show, currently on in Bangalore said developing and practicing maneuvers for air shows takes years to perfect as aircraft are flying relatively low and fast and there is little room for error.

While this only the second time the Su-57 has performed at an international air show, it has been flying and enthralling crowds at Moscow’s MAKS air show for years.