See what it was like to fly on the 'Big Bunny,' Hugh Hefner's customized Playboy jet
Courtesy of Playboy Enterprises
In the second half of the 1960s, late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner purchased a customized plane called the "Big Bunny."
A stretch version of a DC-9, it had the capability to go anywhere in the world — and it did, taking Hefner and his celebrity clientele everywhere from Africa to Europe.
Estimated to cost about $5 million, it was outfitted with custom lighting and painted black, which was revolutionary for the time. He called his stewardesses "Jet Bunnies."
Though the famed plane was only used for six years, it certainly left behind a legacy of its own.
With the help of Playboy Enterprises, we've put together a collection of photos that will take you through the famed jet's history, from its wild disco parties to its luxurious amenities.
Talia Avakian contributed reporting to an earlier version of this article.
Hefner purchased the plane when he was 43. He had the 119-foot plane custom-made for him after a 1966 trip to London. "I saw the future when I was in London: The sexual revolution was going on and the miniskirt had just arrived ... I decided then and there to get the jet," he said in a piece he wrote for the Wall Street Journal in 2010.
Source: Wall Street Journal
He had spotlights installed on the wing tips so that the iconic rabbit could be seen flying through the air at night. He also asked permission from the federal government to paint it black. "I designed the Big Bunny jet to stand out," he wrote in the WSJ. "Nobody had a black plane at the time. It was like The Ugly Duckling."
Source: Wall Street Journal
Hefner's Jet Bunnies had worked in the Playboy clubs in Chicago and Los Angeles and trained at Continental Airlines' stewardess school. Uniforms that were designed by Walter Holmes — with contributions from Hefner himself — included rabbit ears and tails, black boots, and white aviator scarves.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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