The Least Stealthy “Stealth” Planes Ever Built

In the late 1930s, with war on the horizon and radar still in its infancy, the British Admiralty was desperate for a way to track enemy fleets under cover of darkness. The idea they landed on was… creative, to say the least: a “Fleet Shadower.” This new aircraft would stalk enemy ships at night, flying as slowly and silently as possible for up to six hours — a stealth plane before “stealth” even existed.

A Mission Impossible

The specifications sent to manufacturers in 1937 bordered on lunacy. The aircraft had to have four engines, carry a crew of three, fold its wings for carrier storage, take off in under 200 feet, and cruise at only 39 knots (45 mph) — all while weighing under 10,000 pounds. Two companies, Airspeed and General Aircraft, actually tried to make this flying contradiction a reality.

The Flying Contraptions

Airspeed’s AS.39 and General Aircraft’s GAL.38 looked more like awkward science projects than war machines. Both used four tiny Pobjoy Niagara engines, chosen for their quietness, and high-mounted wooden wings designed for slow-speed lift. The idea was that propwash flowing over the wings and flaps would keep the plane stable at extremely low speeds — at least, in theory.

In practice, they were a nightmare. The GAL.38 could indeed cruise at 39 mph, but only in perfectly calm weather. Over the open sea, gusts tossed it around like a kite. The Airspeed version fared even worse, with poor climb rates, unpredictable stalls, and almost no elevator authority. Neither could fly safely below 75% power — hardly ideal for a “silent” shadowing mission.

Obsolete Before They Flew

By 1942, radar technology had advanced enough to make the Fleet Shadower concept irrelevant. Both prototypes were quietly scrapped, their brief existence serving as a reminder that innovation sometimes strays too far from reality.

The Admiralty’s dream of a “silent stalker” ended not with success, but with two of the least stealthy ‘stealth’ aircraft ever built — lumbering curiosities that whispered through the night, if only for a moment