Authenticity in Filmmaking: The Daring Tomcat F-14 Maneuver in THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

Classic, Underrated Movie

In the movie, The Final Countdown, there was a scene where the Japanese pilot attempted to force the F-14 into the water. The pilot who did the close-to-the-water hammerhead and pull-out was Richard “Fox” Farrell. 

This daring move led to the F-14 kicking up a significant amount of seawater, which pushed the limits of the Tomcat. Another notable participant in the film was Archie Donahue. Donahue was a WWII ace in a day and is portrayed as one of the Zero pilots. 

The film crew captured the Zeroes in a full shot without CGI, the Zeroes had to be flown at full throttle while F-14s were flown at stall speed. That’s why you’d notice the latter to have fully extended wings in most scenes. 

Have you watched this classic?