Boeing Releases Photos of Super-Secret 1960s Stealth Plane Experiment

When, precisely, stealth aircraft technology began is a matter for debate. Given the confidential nature of developing new military equipment, tracing stealth back to its roots can be a tricky process.

Still, as far as the US military cannon goes, the F-117 Nighthawk marked a major turn in stealth warfare. Unveiled in 1988, the attack aircraft was developed Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division.

But over two decades before the Nighthawk took to the skies, Boeing was secretly chipping away at its own stealth fighter. Officially deemed Model 853, but nicknamed "Quiet Bird," the prototype was tested in 1962 and 1963, and in a different world, could have been the US military’s first stealth aircraft.

Undergoing radar cross-section tests in the company’s Wichita, Kansas facility, Model 853 was originally developed as a scout plane for the US Army. While it performed remarkably well in those tests, the Quiet Bird never had a chance to enter military service.

"The tests reportedly achieved excellent results in reduced radar cross section, but it was a bit ahead of its time and did not generate interest from the military," Boeing noted, according to Ars Technica.

Still, while Model 853 was never appreciated by the Pentagon, its development did contribute to other aerial objects.

"The lessons learned on Quiet Bird probably did influence the design of the Boeing AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile," reads the company’s photo description, adding that the "effort eventually lead to the use of increasingly larger and more complex composite structures in Boeing aircraft."

In a partnership with Lockheed Martin, Boeing is currently competing for a US Air Force contract against Northrop Grumman. The winner will develop the Pentagon’s next-generation stealth bomber to replace the aging B-2. Though after the expensive – and faulty – production of the infamous F-35, the bomber project is already facing heated criticism.