“Hold on tight!”
Two years after the blockbuster Top Gun movie hit Cineplexes, Cox released the Top Gun 4400 Control Line Model Airplane.
Aimed at children ages 10 and up, the plane ran on a gas-powered .049 engine that was secured in place in the fuselage using rubber bands. A spring attached to the engine allowed it to be easily started by rotating the propeller – a feature Cox referred to as “SnapStarter.”
The plane was piloted using an attached a control line which could be manipulated to guide the toy into climbs, dives, and acceleration/deceleration. Landing gear that snapped into the bottom of the fuselage was capable of facilitating successful landings.
As an homage to the movie, the design of the 4400 included realistic navy markings, including the actual insignia used at Miramar Naval Air Station’s Top Gun Fighter Weapons School.
