Comment by Blackthorn
10 years ago
I was quite surprised to learn recently how the B-29 was (A) about as expensive a project as the atomic bomb and (B) almost a complete failure (until the firebombing of Japan) due to no one knowing about the jet stream.
I believe there was also the prospect that if the B-29 hadn't been available the atomic bombs would have to been dropped from the British Lancaster - which was the only other bomber capable of carrying them at the time.
Doesn't (A) count the cost of producing all 3,970 airplanes, not just the R&D cost? Seems a bit misleading to compare that to an R&D program that produced one test device and two bombs.
B29 was built to bomb Germany from the USA in case the UK had fallen.