Tom Cruise owns an absolutely wild collection of aircraft that's a bit different to your typical celebrity car collection

Tom Cruise and John Travolta have a lot of things in common, including the fact that they’re both licensed pilots.

While most celebrities collect cars, Cruise and Travolta collect jets.

But Tom’s collection is perhaps even more interesting.

Mainly because of one specific aircraft.

The key difference between Tom Cruise and John Travolta

Both Tom Cruise and John Travolta own planes that they actually fly, but with a key difference.

Travolta mostly focuses on ex-airliners, like the Qantas Boeing 707 he recently gifted a museum in Australia, or ‘traditional’ jets.

By contrast, Cruise is also often seen piloting helicopters and planes that are a little less conventional.

Obviously, he too owns a private jet that he can pilot.

But, crucially, Tom Cruise also owns (and pilots) what is probably one of the most fascinating aircraft ever built.

Cruise owns one of the most fascinating airplanes ever built

Designed by North American Aviation, the P-51 Mustang was one of the best fighter aircraft of World War II.

Cruise’s was built in 1946, so it just missed out on service during the war.

Amazingly, it still runs, and it’s still part of Tom Cruise’s collection.

The Mission: Impossible star bought the aircraft in 2001, and he actually uses it.

At the end of Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise’s character is seen flying a Mustang.

That is the exact aircraft that the actor owns, and he is indeed a fully licensed pilot.

A while back, Cruise also made headlines when he accepted an award while flying this exact plane.

There’s a reason why some people call him ‘the last true Hollywood star’.

What’s next for Cruise?

Tom Cruise is one of the few Hollywood icons who never caved in to the streaming craze.

Top Gun: Maverick was ready just in time for the pandemic to start, but he stood his ground and refused to sell it to streaming giants, believing it to be a theatrical experience, not a streaming release.

He was right.

Top Gun: Maverick was one of the most successful movies ever, bringing in a staggering $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office.

Not long ago, Paramount Pictures officially greenlighted Top Gun 3, confirming that Tom Cruise will be stepping back into the cockpit to reprise his legendary role as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell.

Screenwriter Ehren Kruger is back to pen the script, and fan-favorites Miles Teller (Rooster) and Glen Powell (Hangman) are locked in to return alongside Cruise as young and up-and-coming pilots.

We don’t have a release date yet, but, unfortunately, it’s probably going to be years, not months.