[Llarry]

A brief introduction to black Navy fighters.

The custom started in test squadron VX-4 at Point Mugu, California, during the era of the F-4 Phantom. A single F-4 was painted overall black with a Playboy bunny in white on the tail. In the 1980s, that F-4 was retired, and an F-14 was painted in the same scheme.

As far as I know, the custom died out when VX-4 merged with VX-5 to become the VX-9 Vampires.

But I just found an F-18D (I believe; it's hard to differentiate details on a black airplane) of Top Gun at the Naval Air Station, Fallon, Nevada, in all black scheme so apparently the tradition continued at least for a while. (Thanks to @BReif61 for the correction.)