F-14A "TOP GUN" Tomcat - BuNo 160665

GRUMMAN F-14A TOMCAT BuNo 160665

“Maverick" & "Goose”

Our Tomcat, BuNo 160665, with "GOOSE" and "MAVERICK" visible on the canopy rail, from "TOP GUN" Paramount Pictures Corporation, 1986.

This is not just any Tomcat. This is the jet that audiences around the world remember. BuNo 160665 is the main hero F-14 Tomcat of “Maverick” (Tom Cruise) and “Goose” (Anthony Edwards) in the original 1986 "Top Gun" movie. The F-14 Tomcat is arguably the most iconic Navy aircraft of all time. A renowned fleet defense interceptor, it defined American fighter prowess for the latter half of the 20th century and was made immortal by “Top Gun”.

Bureau Number 160665 — is one of the most iconic Tomcats to ever serve in the U.S. Navy. Delivered in 1978 as the first F-14 ever assigned to VF-51 "Screaming Eagles" at NAS Miramar, BuNo 160665 went on to secure its legacy in both naval aviation and Hollywood after being chosen as the primary aircraft of “Maverick’s” for the 1986 blockbuster “Top Gun”.

In 1985, BuNo 160665 was one of several VF-51 Tomcats temporarily assigned to the production. For filming, it was repainted in the iconic fictional VF-1 "Screaming Eagles" markings and flew with the famous canopy rail names of both "Maverick" and "Goose" and "Cougar" and "Merlin" - carrying their respective modexes 114 and 203 across different scenes.

Of all the F-14s used in the film, 160665 has the most screen time. It appears in Jester and Viper's training dogfights against Maverick, the Hop 31 sequence, the unforgettable "Hit the brakes and he'll fly right by!" engagement and the legendary inverted scene with the fictional "MiG-28"/F-5 (flown by Scott Altman (“Scooter” / “D-Bear”)) who “flips the bird” at the MiG - that’s his hand in the shot - and who later became a NASA astronaut and flew four Space Shuttle missions. These scenes helped make the F-14 Tomcat one of the most recognizable fighters ever put on screen.

Our Tomcat pictured in the "inverted scene" Paramount Pictures Corporation, 1986.

Top Gun flight lead LCDR. Lloyd “Bozo” Abel has even testified that ‘665 performed the famous Miramar tower flyby scene, though this is unconfirmed and likely the camera ship F-14, BuNo 160675 - a mere one digit off. Although, some debate remains to this day whether it was ‘665 or ‘675 that did the tower flyby scene. 

Outside of Hollywood, 160665 had a distinguished operational history with VF-51 "Screaming Eagles," where it served as the squadron's very first Tomcat after its delivery in 1978. After many years of fleet service, the aircraft was later transferred to VF-101 "Grim Reapers," where it was assigned the modex of 233 and trained the next generation of Tomcat aircrew until its retirement on September 17, 1997.

In 2025, we acquired original material from 160665, and in 2026 we transformed it into our limited-edition TransportTags — giving collectors the chance to own a genuine piece of both U.S. Navy and cinematic history. 

March 2000, ‘665 sits nearly entirely cannibalized at NAS Oceana

This is a staggered roll-out pre-order, no refunds/cancellations will be accepted.

Some tags will begin shipping approximately two weeks after the official release date, while the last will roll-out about 6 weeks after release date. We’re still finalizing a few production details, but the material is already in-house and the process is underway.

Please note: TransportTags is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or licensed by Northrop Grumman Corporation, Grumman Aerospace Corporation, the United States Navy, the United States Department of Defense, Paramount/Skydance Pictures Corporation, or “Top Gun” or its affiliates.

Use of such names, images, and markings on this site and on our products is solely for purposes of historical identification, factual reference, and to accurately describe the provenance of the authentic material used in this product, as protected under nominative fair use principles of the Lanham Act. No claim of ownership or affiliation is intended or implied. 

Each TransportTag is crafted from the authentic skin of BuNo 160665. Each tag is unique with variations in color, wear, and markings - just as she flew.

Own a piece of the jet that made history on the big screen and on the carrier deck!