Darkstar is one of several Lockheed Martin aircraft, satellites, and helicopters that do background work for popular movies
In the most recent Top Gun: Maverick movie, Maverick flew a hypothetical hypersonic aircraft called Darkstar that was created by the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works team, exceeding Mach 10. Maverick had a “need for speed,” and Darkstar’s skills satisfied it by pushing the boundaries of flight to support an important mission.
In addition to several Lockheed Martin aircraft, satellites, and helicopters, Darkstar also appears in supporting roles in major motion pictures.
Glenn L. Martin was paid $300 a day, according to the Lockheed Martin website, to fly his Model T trainer in the 1915 film The Girl From Yesterday, which took place during the heyday of silent film. Mary Pickford, dubbed “America’s Sweetheart,” was one of the best stars of the era and starred in the movie.
It’s possible that the last moments of Casablanca, the 1942 Best Picture winner, are the most well-known in all of cinema. Stars Victor and Ilsa Lund Laszlo are seen fleeing to avoid the Germans, and a scale replica of the Lockheed 10 Electra is an important part of their story.
A family of Lockheed Martin mobility aircraft, comprising a C-5, C-141, and MC-130, can be seen at different moments throughout the 1997 action movie Air Force One. Lockheed Martin aircraft, such as the F-35, F-22, F-16, and SR-71, have appeared on screen with superheroes in films ranging from Iron Man to The Avengers.
Hollywood and Lockheed Martin have a relationship that goes beyond the company’s systems being used in motion pictures. The Hollywood movie studios—Disney Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount, and Universal Pictures—assumed the job of concealing aircraft manufacturing facilities, including the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation complex in Burbank, California, during World War II.
To hide the facilities from prospective opponents flying overhead, the studios provided scenic designers, painters, art directors, landscape artists, animators, carpenters, lighting specialists, and propmasters. Disney artists completed most of the work at the Lockheed plant, and they also painted the noses of certain aircraft before they were delivered.
Watch for Lockheed Martin systems soaring on screen the next time you are at the movies or home watching your favorite show!
Photo by Lockheed Martin